Lest we forget, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister once took a shot at a Las Vegas residency with the rock production “Monster Circus,” which as the name indicates was a hard-rock performance centered on a circus theme.
This show was a lesson in over-the-top behavior, and not just from Snider, who has turned such into an art form. A Las Vegas resident (he has a dwelling at Turnberry Place), Snider storms back onstage Saturday night with Twisted Sister at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.
The band is making a fairly rare live appearance in the “Metal Meltdown” (something about Snider and descriptive titles, right?) lineup along with Extreme and Skid Row. Twisted Sister is using the performance as a tribute to the band’s original drummer, the powerhouse A.J. Pero, who died of a heart attack in March while touring with Adrenaline Mob.
As noted, this show is a return to the Las Vegas stage for Snider, whose vision to merge expansive production with a hard-rock sound blossomed to “Monster Circus.” Snider performed the Twisted Sister hits (“We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” chiefly) with an assortment of rock-star contemporaries.
Also featured were a flaming-arrow act (“Sexy and Dangerous,” featuring Jennifer Romas of “Sexxy” in a supporting role), aerialists and an MC dubbed Sicko the Clown. It was a high-octane, high-risk and high-cost endeavor at the then-Las Vegas Hilton before drowning in red ink during the spring of 2009.
But hardly anyone who was exposed to “Monster Circus” will ever forget that show. Snider certainly won’t. When I started an interview with him last week by saying, “The first time I ever talked to you was before the opening of ‘Monster Circus,’ ” he swiftly responded: “Oh, you mean ‘Raiding the Rock Vault’ with the actual guys who were on the original recordings? That was ‘Monster Circus.’ ”
“You’ve got a problem with ‘Rock Vault?’ ” I asked, understanding that Dee Snider has a big problem with “Raiding the Rock Vault.”
He continued: “ ‘Rock Vault’ is a tribute band of a bunch of add-on people who were not the people who played on these classic albums except for (guitarist) Howard Leese, who is the only actual guy who was in the studio making the records we love. Otherwise, it’s an army of guys up there claiming their credentials, that they were in these bands, and they are not legit.”
“Have you seen ‘Rock Vault?’ ” I asked.
“I refuse to go to it. It’s offensive to the guys who actually played on theses albums,” Snider said. “But I’ve spent enough time bashing it. I’ve been bashing it for a while, actually.”
True. Earlier this year, Snider and “Rock Vault” guitarist Doug Aldrich, late of Whitesnake, argued this point across social media before Snider apologized for “singling out” Aldrich in the debate (for his part, Aldrich never saw the attack coming).
Supporters of “Rock Vault” counter Snider’s remarks by saying that anyone who is a fan of preserving classic rock should not go around slamming a show dedicated to that very form of music. The debate remains relevant as so many bands with famous names are crisscrossing the country, or even setting up Las Vegas residencies, that are filled with “add-on” artists.
Reached via text Wednesday, “Rock Vault” producer “Sir” Harry Cowell said Snider’s comments were “not worthy of response.” (“Raiding the Rock Vault” is playing a free live show Saturday at 5 p.m. at the front entrance of the Trop on the Strip and Tropicana Avenue, celebrating their 500th show at the hotel).
Snider is similarly zealous about the show to be played Saturday night. He flatly says: “Twisted Sister is one of the best live bands, if not the best live band, ever. I know that is a hell of a statement, but I make it fearlessly. We’ve annihilated other bands in festivals, guys who are saying, ‘What the (heck) just happened? They just destroyed us!’ I’d love to do a Rock in Rio festival. Please, just put me on the bill, and it’ll be my pleasure to school you, OK (laughs)?”
The problem with today’s rock culture, Snider says, is the rising bands are almost indistinguishable from one another. “In the day, we had Alice Cooper and KISS, David Bowie, people who really looked like they were from another planet,” he said.
“Today, what do we have? Rock is defeating itself with a bunch of faceless stars. I don’t want to see a guy who looks like he just pumped my gas or bagged my groceries up there on a festival stage.”
He then cited the three reasons why fans should hit Saturday’s show at the Joint:
“One is the greatest rock-and-roll band statement. See if it is right or if I am full of (crap).”
“Two, 2016 is the end for Twisted Sister. We’re doing nine shows this year and a few next year, all of them very solid offers. But nothing after that.”
“Three, this is a tribute to A.J., who was a great guy and a hell of a drummer. We’ve got Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater, in A.J.’s spot, and he is fantastic.”
The collective result of all of this commentary and posturing is that whenever Dee Snider is involved, expect a hell of a rock show.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
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