Reunions in the music world are often greeted with a crescendo of excitement and anticipation. They are a nostalgic symphony, transporting fans back to the ‘golden age’ of their favorite bands. The energy of a reunion concert is electric, like a rhapsody of memories, as fans come together to relive the moments and sing along to the songs that have soundtracked their lives.
But not everyone is a fan of reunions. Some argue that they are a financial encore, a way for aging musicians to make a quick buck off their former glory. Others argue that they cheapen the band’s legacy, sullying the memory of their seminal works with a subpar reunion tour. Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider is one such critic of reunions. In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio program, he shared his thoughts on the matter.
“I know some of the other band members are hoping so,” the musician said when asked about the possibility of more reunion shows with Twisted Sister. “I’m one of those people that say, ‘Once you say you retire, you retire. That’s it. There’s no coming back.’”
The singer continued, “Once you sell the ‘No More Tours’ shirt, you’re out! And I say also, you don’t have to leave! Blue Öyster Cult have jackets that say ‘on tour forever’ — God bless you! Alice Cooper says he’s looking forward to singing, ‘I’m 80’ — God bless him! The Rolling Stones? Keep going, baby! Scorpions… they changed their mind. Metallica? Keep going!”
According to the rocker, musicians should be consistent with their decisions once they announce their retirement, as he said, “But don’t announce the retirement. Don’t take the payday and don’t come back three years later and say, ‘We changed our mind,’ when you wrote it in blood.”
This isn’t Dee Snider’s first protest against reunion bands. He stated several times before that he was completely against this concept. The reason is simple: although they are a moneymaker for young musicians, they do nothing for their personal creativity. According to him, tribute bands with no original members who claim they are still the original band are just money traps with astronomic ticket prizes.
That’s why Twisted Sister decided to retire and has no intention of reuniting, despite receiving lucrative offers. However, it seems that Snider had an exception, as the band will be reuniting for the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame induction ceremony on January 26. It’s a rare opportunity for fans to see the band back on stage together, and it’s definitely something not to be missed. Get the telescopes ready for this very rare comet approaching Earth!
