Jay Jay French recently discussed Twisted Sister’s setlist challenges for their upcoming 50th anniversary reunion tour. He shared his thoughts on the difficult decisions bands face when selecting songs for live performances. His comments were made during an interview on Talking the Talk with Don.
French addressed the common dilemma that long-running bands encounter when planning their setlists for anniversary tours.
“There probably are some, but the problem is when you’re doing 60 minutes or 75 minutes, ’cause that’s what you’re contracted for, you’re in the same dilemma that any other band is that’s been together 50 years with a million albums,” French said. “And that dilemma is this. Do you play the 17 songs everybody wants to hear, or do you replace a couple of them with other more obscure stuff? That’s always the big question.”
The guitarist explained his philosophy on prioritizing fan expectations over artistic experimentation during live performances.
“And my answer to that question is, if you’re playing for the fans, you give them exactly what they want. That’s my theory,” he continued. “If you’re playing for yourself, it’s different. But if you’re really playing for the fans and you understand most of them wanna hear these 17 [songs]… I guarantee you, if we laid out, ‘These are the songs we’re gonna do. But we’re gonna remove two of them to put two things in. Which one should we remove?’ Nobody’s gonna want a single song removed.”
French further elaborated on the specific challenge of removing fan favorites from the setlist.
“That’s the problem. That’s the problem. ‘Let’s take out ‘Destroyer’.’ ‘Let’s take out ‘You Can’t Stop Up Rock ‘N’ Roll’.’ ‘Let’s take out ‘Tear It Loose’.’ ‘Let’s take out ‘The Kids Are Back’.’ No. That’s the problem,” he said. “So the problem is we’re gonna get together, we’re gonna rehearse and we’re gonna play a bunch of songs. And we have in our mind a couple songs we haven’t played much, and we’re gonna give it a shot, see how it sounds. We’re gonna see how it sounds.”
The band is currently preparing for their 50th anniversary reunion tour with plans to experiment with some lesser-known tracks during rehearsals.
French’s comments come as Twisted Sister prepares for what promises to be a significant milestone celebration. Blabbermouth reported that the tour is currently billed under the name “Twisted Forever, Forever Twisted,” which French jokingly refers to as “Sex, Prescription Drugs And Rock And Roll.”
The band’s long history has seen numerous lineup changes over the decades. French noted that many newer fans are unaware of the group’s extensive internal history, as Blabbermouth detailed. He pointed out that Twisted Sister has worked with 10 different bass players and drummers over the years.
Despite the challenges of selecting songs from five decades of material, the band recently demonstrated their ability to deliver their signature sound. Blabbermouth noted that Twisted Sister performed a high-energy three-song set featuring “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Under The Blade” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” at a special appearance. This showcased the kind of staple material fans can expect on the upcoming run.
French’s approach to setlist construction reflects a broader understanding of fan expectations for anniversary tours. Metal Addicts covered his recent comments in other interviews. He has repeatedly stressed that fans attending a 50th anniversary show expect the classic anthems, not deep cuts. This reinforces his fan-first philosophy for the upcoming celebration.
