In a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar‘s Andrew Daly, Dee Snider discussed TWISTED SISTER‘s performance at the Metal Hall of Fame this January.
Even though they retired from performing, they reunited to mark their entrance into the Metal Hall of Fame with a special performance.
When asked if the band would consider a reunion tour or more one-off shows, Dee responded: The band TWISTED SISTER, as an entity, can do it without me if they wanted to, but if they were to go out, no, I would not participate. I have an incredible love for the guys, and it was great to get up there with them the other night. It was fun to rehearse with them and hang out with them, and we’re still really close friends, but that chapter of my life is behind me now. I’ve also loudly denounced bands who do the farewell tour thing and then come back a few years later; I think it is such a pile of dogs**t.
“But to clarify my stance on all of that — you could stay forever. Please do stay forever. Never leave us. Stay on stage until you die. If you look at a band like RUSH, they played until Neil Peart couldn’t do it anymore. God bless them. Alice Cooper told me he’s looking forward to being on stage at 80 years old. God bless him. He told me that in person, and I said, ‘Dude, I love you for that, but that’s not for me.’ I said I was done, and I promise you, when it comes to TWISTED SISTER, I am done. I said that I wanted to move on to other things, and I meant it.
“And you know what? Nobody took it seriously. And why would they? Everyone assumed because nobody else, like MÖTLEY and KISS, played by the rules, that I wouldn’t stay retired. They all said, ‘What? That’s not how the farewell tour rules work. Dee has got to come back.’ They think that because this whole other rule book was written where people ‘retire’ and then come back a few years later. But not me. Am I open to a quick song here or there or a fun one-off? Yeah, sure. But a whole tour with long sets? No way.
On why he thinks bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS are having such a hard time to retire, Dee replied: “Well, first of all, it’s about money, which is weird because it’s not like they don’t have any money. Certainly, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have plenty of money and don’t need it. Still, the desire for more money trumps all, right? I guess it could be that some of these guys miss the stage and the rush, but I can tell you that I don’t. It’s funny; my dad, who is in his 90s, asked me the other day, ‘Dee, don’t you miss it? Don’t you miss the thousands of people cheering you on?’
“So yeah, my dad asked me that, and I said, ‘No, I think I’m good.’ [Laughs] And that was the truth; I absolutely do not miss it,” he continued. “It’s not like I don’t get adoration from people. I have my moments, whether it’s public appearances or going out and doing a few solo things here and there. So, I’ve got my moments where I get my ego trip here and there. I don’t know, though; maybe other people miss that. I guess guys like KISS and MÖTLEY miss it to the point where they can’t let it go.
