twisted sister 1985 tour dates

• Kiss Rights Sale Not About Money
• Albums That Tore Apart Bands
• Revisiting Van Halen's First Show
• End of the Road for Pearl Jam?
• Top 200 '70s Songs

When Twisted Sister Aimed for the Mainstream – and Missed

Rock history is littered with rags-to-riches stories, and even more rags-to-riches-and-back-to-rags stories. Few of these have been as extreme as Twisted Sister ’s wild ride, however, as they shot to stardom with 1984’s blockbuster Stay Hungry only to crash just as quickly with the follow up Come Out and Play .

In retrospect, frontman Dee Snider said it made sense. “Before Come Out and Play was even finished, the video shot or the world tour begun, all of the pieces were falling into place for a career implosion of epic proportions," he wrote in the autobiography Shut Up and Give Me the Mic .

Only, Snider adds, "we never saw it coming." That's because myriad coinciding forces, both internal and external, seemed to simultaneously conspire against Twisted Sister, creating a perfect storm that turned their hard-won dreams of stardom into a living nightmare.

Twisted Sister had, of course, painstakingly worked their way up the rock and roll food chain, first as a record-setting underground club act then as independent label soldiers and then as major-label stars. Stay Hungry catapulted them to the top in 1984, thanks to smash hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock” and a cultural juggernaut in MTV.

When compared to all those years of hard and fighting for a single lucky break, the dizzying heights of 1984 seemed like a cakewalk for Snider, guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda, bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza and drummer A.J. Pero. But their blind confidence kept them from recognizing, never mind heeding, each warning sign that surfaced as they worked on Come Out and Play .

The first of these involved the band’s choice of producer, Bob Ezrin ( Alice Cooper , Kiss , Pink Floyd , etc.), who verbally accepted the job of replacing Stay Hungry 's Tom Werman, only to back out after listening to the original demos, according to Snider's book. Twisted Sister then turned to their second choice, Dieter Dierks ( Scorpions , Accept , etc.), and got down to business – first at New York's Hit Factory, and then Los Angeles' Record Plant.

Listen to Twisted Sister Perform 'Leader of the Pack'

Ultimately, Snider said he felt Dierks' overindulgence in studio technology, newly available at the time, left the album sounding dynamically flat. One could just as easily point a finger at the songs themselves, which either lacked the freshness of Twisted Sister’s earlier material or seemed to fly on auto-pilot (see “You Want What We Got," "Lookin’ Out for #1,” etc.).

Several tunes, (including the title track, the leaden “Fire Still Burns” and speedy “Kill or Be Killed”) tried too hard to be heavy. Others, like “I Believe in You” and “Out in the Streets,” were half-baked ballads, lacking hooks. The album's designated singles – “Leader of the Pack” (yep, the golden oldie) and their Alice Cooper-influenced “Be Chrool to Your Scuel" – were dismal failures in the charts.

The second of those singles seemed specifically designed to capture the general public's attention, as Snider recruited an veritable army of celebrity cameos from Alice Cooper, the Stray Cats ' Brian Setzer, the E Street Band's Clarence Clemons , Don Dokken and Billy Joel – the latter of whom might have seemed like an odd choice, but for his own earlier work in the proto-metal duo Attila.

Add to this the distraction of the infamous P.M.R.C. hearings , which found Snider joining Frank Zappa and John Denver as a star witnesses against music censorship. It didn't amount of hill of beans, of course, in the long run – other than the advisory stickers which soon became a sad reality of music consumption. But this added round of exposure had Snider edging toward media saturation, with dire future consequences.

Nevertheless, thanks to the multi-platinum achievements of Stay Hungry , advance orders for Come Out and Play were exceedingly strong. So, who could have guessed what fate had in store for Twisted Sister's new LP — their can’t-miss magnum opus — when it arrived on Nov. 9, 1985?

Listen to Twisted Sister Perform 'Be Chrool to Your Scuel'

“Leader of the Pack” was, alas, a beyond-disappointing chart performer. The album’s correspondingly meager sales also revealed a much-broader image problem. Twisted Sister’s hardcore fan base – the so-called “Sick Motherfuckers" – felt alienated by the band’s mainstream success. Meanwhile, newer and more fickle fans were spending their cash on competitors like Motley Crue and Ratt .

The situation only got worse when Twisted Sister's ambitious and expensive Come Out and Play tour of the United States endured ever-softening ticket demand. Even support from Dokken , whose platinum-selling Under Lock and Key had been released on the same day as Come Out and Play , couldn't halt Twisted Sister's tumble. Snider used the excuse of throat polyps – later admitted to be fake – to cancel all remaining dates.

MTV added a final insult to the band’s extensive injuries, banning Twisted Sister's low-concept, high-dollar video for “Be Chrool to Your Scuel,” which featured rising comedian Bobcat Goldthwaite, Alice Cooper (once again) and an army of zombie students. Atlantic Records then suspended support for the album, and Come Out and Play was officially dead.

All that remained was a likewise disappointing European touring run. Twisted Sister returned home to lick their wounds amid lawsuits from concert promoters and merchandisers seeking to recoup advances. One album later, the band disintegrated.

Fortunately, decades later Twisted Sister were rescued by a combination of nostalgia and belated recognition for their enduring songs – to say nothing of their formidable live shows. Still, Twisted Sister’s ambitious Come Out and Play remains a cautionary tale about the fleeting nature of superstardom, the dangers of unchecked overexposure, and the dire consequences of underserving one’s core audience at the behest of the mainstream.

See Twisted Sister in the Parents Music Resource Center's 'Filthy Fifteen'

More from ultimate classic rock.

DEE SNIDER Says When TWISTED SISTER Opened Up For IRON MAIDEN In The ‘80s - “That Was When Tours Were Tours And Men Were Men”

November 27, 2021, 2 years ago

news twisted sister dee snider iron maiden "heavy metal"

In 1984/1985, Iron Maiden’s massive World Slavery tour in support of Powerslave lasted 331 days and a good chunk of the 189 gigs performed saw Twisted Sister as the opening act, as they were supporting their breakthrough album, Stay Hungry.

During a recent BraveWords interview in support of his new solo album, Leave A Scar, singer Dee Snider looks back at arguably the ride of his life!

What was a key learning experience travelling around the world with Rod Smallwood and the band?

Featured Video

KELEVRA - "The Distance"

Latest reviews.

DEGRAVED - Whispered Morbidity & Exhumed Remnants

April 4, 2024, 2 days ago

review black death degraved

BLACKTOP MOJO - Pollen

April 4, 2024, 3 days ago

review blacktop mojo hard rock

DUST BOLT – Sound & Fury

April 3, 2024, 4 days ago

review heavy metal dust bolt

THE ROLLING STONES - Live At The Wiltern

review the rolling stones

IRONBOUND - Serpent's Kiss

April 2, 2024, 5 days ago

review heavy metal ironbound

ZOMBI - Direct Inject

April 1, 2024, 6 days ago

review riff notes zombi

SUFFER - Grand Canvas Of The Aesthete

March 29, 2024, a week ago

review black death suffer

THE WHO - Live At Shea Stadium 1982

March 28, 2024, a week ago

review classic rock rarities the who

RAGE - Afterlifelines

March 27, 2024, a week ago

review heavy metal rage

CARL CANEDY - Tales Of A Wild Dog

March 22, 2024, 2 weeks ago

review hard rock heavy metal carl canedy the rods

Partner Resources

Rocketplay casino, uk gambling sites without gamstop, non stop casino, nongamstopbets casino, non gamstop casinos, withcasinobonus.

© 2003 - www.chmetal.info

Upcoming Shows

• Site Search
• Privacy Policy

Tour Date Search

www.TourDateSearch.com

Sun, Apr 7, 2024

Shows: 1021 Earliest: Mar 23, 1973 Latest: Jan 26, 2023

On this day in tour history

-- Back to Top of Page --

Follow Tour Date Search : Facebook | Twitter

Search | Artists | Upcoming Shows | Contact | Donate | Links |--> Site Search | Privacy Policy

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• Twisted Sister
• Tour Statistics
• Song Statistics Stats
• Tour Statistics Stats
• Other Statistics

All Setlists

• All setlist songs  ( 1092 )

Years on tour

• 2023  ( 1 )
• 2016  ( 20 )
• 2015  ( 10 )
• 2014  ( 14 )
• 2013  ( 10 )
• 2012  ( 10 )
• 2011  ( 17 )
• 2010  ( 18 )
• 2009  ( 18 )
• 2008  ( 13 )
• 2007  ( 9 )
• 2006  ( 30 )
• 2005  ( 30 )
• 2004  ( 24 )
• 2003  ( 23 )
• 2002  ( 1 )
• 2001  ( 2 )
• 2000  ( 1 )
• 1987  ( 13 )
• 1986  ( 47 )
• 1985  ( 42 )
• 1984  ( 106 )
• 1983  ( 69 )
• 1982  ( 50 )
• 1981  ( 31 )
• 1980  ( 71 )
• 1979  ( 26 )
• 1978  ( 198 )
• 1977  ( 14 )
• 1976  ( 28 )
• 1975  ( 5 )
• 1974  ( 23 )
• 1973  ( 118 )

Show all tours

• 2010 South American Tour  ( 5 )
• A Twisted Christmas 2006  ( 13 )
• A Twisted Christmas 2008  ( 2 )
• A Twisted Christmas 2011  ( 2 )
• Come Out and Play  ( 47 )
• Farewell Tour  ( 10 )
• Forty and F*ck It  ( 19 )
• Love Is for Suckers  ( 13 )
• Stay Hungry  ( 148 )
• Stay Hungry 25th Anniversary Tour  ( 9 )
• Under the Blade  ( 24 )
• You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll  ( 58 )
• Avg Setlist

Concert Map

• Apr 5, 2024
• Apr 4, 2024
• Apr 3, 2024
• Apr 2, 2024
• Apr 1, 2024
• Mar 31, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com

• Moscow concerts Moscow concerts Moscow concerts See all Moscow concerts ( Change location ) Today · Next 7 days · Next 30 days
• Most popular artists worldwide
• Trending artists worldwide

• Tourbox for artists

Search for events or artists

• Sign up Log in

• Get the app
• Moscow concerts
• Change location
• Popular Artists
• Live streams
• Popular artists

Twisted Sister tour dates 2024

Twisted Sister is currently touring across 1 country and has 1 upcoming concert.

The final concert of the tour will be at Pitcher in Düsseldorf.

Currently touring across

Upcoming concerts (1) See nearest concert

Past concerts.

Oefenbunker

Parque Fundidora

Badlands Pawn Gold and Jewelry

View all past concerts

Recent tour reviews

The show was amazing. You would think Dee Snider is still 20 years old when he jumps around on the stage. They played a really long shot being that it's the last time they're going to play in the US

Report as inappropriate

My first show with seeing Twisted Sister they were opening for Iron Maiden at Long Beach Arena back in 1984.....that was back in the day, concerts and bands were still amazing.....you lined up a day before to get your tickets, awesomeness doesn't even begin to express just how very awesome this concert was.....they say you can never go back, but just show up to an old school concert...."THEY" ARE WRONG!!!!!

There are very few frontmen who command attention quite as successfully as Dee Dee Snider. Dressed in incredible stage outfit, a face full of makeup and swaying blonde hair, it is not exactly what you imagine a lead singer of a metal core band to look like yet it totally works as his eccentric personality and commanding appearance means he is able to handle the whole audience as one entity with complete ease.

He has such twisted aggression when addressing the crowd and can enthuse them to jump along to the likes of 'The Kids Are Back' with a sheer flick of his guitar and a crude insult thrown in their direction. The more they are baited, the more the audience throws themselves into the music and create mosh pits at the band's feet during 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll'. The whole venue is awash of sweat and adrenaline before the band wrap up the evening with a momentous extended 'Burn In Hell' really demonstrating the instrumental prowess before a punchy 'I Wanna Rock' once again throws the audience into a sense of mayhem, just the way Twisted Sister like it.

• Most popular charts
• API information
• Brand guidelines
• Community guidelines
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookies settings
• Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

• But we really hope you love us.