NOVEMBER 4, 2003 – Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach began his recurring role on “Gilmore Girls”

NOVEMBER 4, 2003 – Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach began his recurring role on “Gilmore Girls” in the episode “The Festival of Living Art.” In the plot, after some time of placing ads and explaining rock history to failing candidates on the phone, Lane Kim invites Gil to play with them in Lorelai Gilmore’s garage band Hep Alien after guitarist Dave’s departure. At first the band members (especially Zack Van Gerbig) voice some reservations about his age (they reckon Gil, whose last name is never revealed, is in his late thirties or even early forties), but eventually Lane decides unilaterally to let Gil join the band. Gil has a day job as an owner of a sandwich shop and often arrives at band practice in his uniform. He is married with children, and his wife appeared briefly on-camera, but did not have a speaking role. When she’s on camera she is usually making out with Gil. Gil remains an integral part of Hep Alien. He has a history as a legitimate rock-and-roll musician, and the others in the band often get their cues about what it means to be “rock and roll” from him. For instance, he was able to convince his bandmates that the proposed tour of Seventh Day Adventists churches was “totally rock and roll.”
Bach appeared as Gil in 12 more episodes and even rallied for fellow Canadian and Rush bassist Geddy Lee to appear on the show. Bach explained the events to US magazine: “My favorite ‘Gilmore Girls’ memory was when the lead singer of Rush, Geddy Lee, came to the set with his daughter. I’m the biggest Rush fan in the world and I couldn’t believe it. I talked to the producers like, ‘You gotta get them in the show!’ So Helen Pai wrote a scene where Geddy and his daughter are in the background (in season 7’s “Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?”). You can’t really see them, but they’re there!”
While he’s a rocker at heart, Sebastian told Pop Matters that “Gilmore Girls” helped to fund his music career when he didn’t have a record deal. The result was Sebastian’s 2007 solo album, “Angel Down.” Gil proved so popular with viewers, that he was called back in for the “Winter” episode of the 2016 Netflix Gilmore Girls reboot titled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” In his 2016 memoir “18 and Life on Skid Row,” Bach said he is recognized for different things by different areas of the public. Sebastian says that in rock ‘n roll bars and music stores, it’s all about Skid Row, but in shopping malls, museums, and the streets of Europe, his TV persona is called out. “If it’s a little girl with her mom I will invariably hear the following words: ‘Oh My God, it’s that guy from Gilmore Girls!’”