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 Dee Snider needs no introduction. As vocalist with 80's Glam shock rockers Twisted Sister he was known for his crazy theatrics, even crazier blonde curly hair and in-your-face make-up. In recent times the band have been known for releasing an album of Christmas music entitled “A Twisted Christmas” (2006) which has maintained their fan base to the extent that live they enjoy huge success in packed venues, even though the last studio album of original material they released was “Stay Hungry” back in 2004.
One of the interesting things about Twisted Sister was their early use of video, especially on Tracks such as “I Wanna Rock” and “We're not Gonna Take It” in the early 80's, just as MTV culture was becoming big business.
I met up with Dee Snider at Hard Rock Hell to find out about his interest in film, and to see what the future holds for this very vintage of rock bands.
I found him in the room of the band's personal chef, at the Skyline
Hotel, Butlins! Apparently it was the cleanest and most private place
to conduct interviews, so we looked out of the panoramic window to
enjoy the view out on to the beach. Upon which we noticed two very
small and windswept tents....
DEE SNIDER: My god! What are they doing out there?
KRISSY ELLIOTT: Erm, fishing maybe?
DS: They must be absolutely freezing, crazy English weather! Why would they do that?
KE: You get some pretty crazy English people, not to mention the visitors! I'd not fancy being out there right now though...
DS: No, neither would I! So, we gonna do an interview then?
KE:
I think we probably should. I had loads of stuff prepared, but... I'll
give you a couple of cards so you can stick them where ever you stick
cards..
DS: That'll be in my back pocket!
(So in the
cards go. The man is slim, tanned and looking years younger than I
expected, the famous hair neatly tied back. No make-up, and none
needed. I'm happy my cards make it into his jeans pocket. We sit on a
couple of comfortable chairs, kick back, and chat for a while...)
KE:
It's fantastic to meet you, and a little crazy for me because of course
I had the Twisted Sister posters on my wall when I was younger.
DS: Good girl! Where did you grow up?
KE:
Hull, on the north east coast – just down the road from the place one
of your crew's from. He's from Beverley, that's where my daughter was
born. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about
you and your movies!
DS: OK, talk to me...
KE: Strangeland... What about Strangeland 2? Whats happening?
DS:
Strangeland is a frustration for me. It's an independent film I made 10
years ago, I wrote it, I co-produced it, and I starred in it. It's
become a cult hit throughout the world, which is great. I remember a
great moment for me, Robert Englund was in the movie, and we were at a
horror convention. By doing Strangeland and other things, such as being
involved with a Gothic Rock orchestra called Van Helsing's Curse, and
Fangoria radio in the States which is dedicated to the world of
horror, I do personal appearances quite a lot. Robert pulls me over at
this particular event and he goes, “Dude, Strangeland is a cult hit,
man!” He was out at that time promoting the movie Freddy vs Jason, but
he said that everywhere in the world he went he signed copies of
Strangeland! He asked if there was going to be a sequel and I said,
well, I'd written it, and was hoping to make it. He says, “Well am I in
it?” And I go, “Yeah, you're in it!” He has a big part, his character
comes back . But for 7 years, the company I made it with was literally
indicted by the government and arrested! I hang with the best people!
 KE: Rock n roll, dude!
DS:
Heh, yeah. They seized all their property, it took me 7 years to get
the creative rights back! And now I got them back I'm hoping to make
the sequel. I'm a little frustrated because during the time I didn't
have the rights, everybody was like, “Oh, man, when you get 'em we
wanna do the sequel!” but all those people have an excuse now as to why
they can't do it. Lionsgate wants to do an extended DVD and we've been
filming the opening for Strangeland Disciple – that's what its called –
and we're gonna put the opening of the sequel at the end of the
extended DVD. It'll go black and it'll fade out, then there's this
autopsy scene... and the disciple is there. Hopefully that'll lead to
the making of the sequel.
KE: So things are actually happing, that's great news after so long.
DS: Yeah they are, not fast enough, but... (shrugs).
KE:
So what about musically at the moment? Bit of touring, some gigs, have
some fun with Twisted Sister? I hear there will be no studio album.
DS: You're exactly right.
KE: So is film your focus right now, the kind of thing you've always wanted to do?
DS: Yes, ever since the Twisted Sister videos.
KE: I thought that might be the case, since they were definitely films rather than usual rock videos.
DS:
I did the videos, saw my crazy little ideas being brought to life with
a big crew, and stunt people and it was just wow! ya know... Then we
did a cameo in a movie called Pee Wee's Big Adventure , that was Tim
Burton's second movie.
KE: Yes, I know it.
DS: We're on
the set with Pee Wee and Tim, and I'm watching this craziness going
on... and anything you come up with in your head, they'll find a way to
make this happen. So I thought “Right.” I have written and sold other
things, family films, TV shows, but nothing's been produced. That's the
interesting thing about the business, many things get bought and sold,
but the next step is then to actually have it made into a production.
KE: So much doesn't make it that far...
DS
(shakes his head): I like writing, I like producing, I've just finished
writing a Christmas film called Killing Christmas, hopefully shopping
that soon. I've also started working on a new horror movie. As a matter
of fact, on the plane over here I started outlining the idea, so ...
I've been writng scripts so hopefully over time I'll get more things
produced and developed. I like that. I do radio, I do TV, on mic, on
camera stuff, but ultimately I'm more interested in being behind the
scenes and creating things, letting other people do the work!
(Much laughter)
KE:
That sounds like the way to be. I'm afraid I'm doing the trekking
around this weekend! What's great is that you have used what you have
learned over the years and have explored all areas of your creativity
instead of just being in a band and being a rock star. There are people
here this weekend flogging their bands to death, and that's all they're
doing.
 DS:
I think its sad. They're like, “Hey! we're.....” (thinks for a minute
and I suspect selects carefully), erm, “Dokken for the 2000s!”And to
me it's like, does anybody really care? Yeah it's an oldies band, its
retro, its classic, and people come to these shows, but we don't kid
ourselves, they're not viewing us as a new band. Y'see, the good thing
about being drug and alcohol free always, I REMEMBER. I remember going
to oldies concerts when I was in high school and seeing 50's rock
bands! And screaming my head off! But, I didn't follow the band around
, I was 17 years old and they were in their 40's, they were up there
singing and it was fun! I bought a greatest hits Four Seasons album
once and I liked listening to it, but like now you can't expect the old
fans who are mums and dads to put on the denim and start following the
band around again .
KE: That's true, I try my best, but it's pretty tough.
DS:
Yeah, and you're in the business so its even harder for the others. The
average fan, they just wanna see it one more time. So Twisted Sisier,
we're giving that to them. That's why we put on the make-up, put on the
costume, let the hair grow.
KE: So its just for fun now? And for the fans?
DS:Yeah,
well that's what they wanna see. They don't wanna see Dee Snider with
baggy pants, wallet chain and baseball cap on backwards, they wanna see
Twisted Sister as they remember them.
KE: And I thought that's what you were gonna go for, a new image!
DS
(chuckling): No. I see a lots of bands up there and they are just
disappointing the fans. People want the memory, and the young fans
wanna see what they heard, what their mums and dads told them about. We
don't want to disappoint them. My biggest fear is that we overstay our
welcome and end up out of shape, not being able to give people at
least a fair representation of what we were. There comes a point where
you should get off the stage and make room for the other bands, man!
KE: There's a review on the KR website by me, saying something very similar, as it happens...
DS
(nods): Wednesday 13, from the Murderdolls, he writes for one of the
rock magazines, he said that when a reunion show makes you feel young
it's good. It's bad when it makes you feel old. That is so true.
KE: I agree.
DS:
Like UFO when they first did the reunion with Michael Schenker, I don't
know if you saw that but they looked great! I was like a kid, I was
screaming, they sounded great! Next thing I know, I'm in the car with
my wife, following the band to the next city and she's saying “Are you
gonna see that band again?” But you know, it made me feel that way.
But you see some bands and they're fat, they're old, they're tired and
they don't sound good. And you go, yeah man, time has passed. Makes you
look at yourself and go, yeah well... (scratching and shaking of the
head).
KE: Yeah I was gutted writing that review, I wanted to
feel hot and 18 again, but in the event I was just thinking, you
bastard, how can you do that to me? I felt every one of my almost 37
years!
DS: I bet you did, I hate it when bands are like that. It
wasn't that I was smarter than everyone else, I was just as stupid but
without drugs and alcohol to blame, but I ran my career into a wall. I
spent all my money, I was broke and without a band, no-one was
interested in the 90's, and I guess out of desperation I started
scrabbling around saying well, what can I do? I couldn't keep pushing
music because quite simply no-one gave a shit, so I started developing
other talents, exploring radio, writing, voiceover. So now, when bands
ask me for a word of wisdom I say, take what you achieve, and think
ahead, realise that making it is not the finish line, you don't cross,
grab a flag and live happily ever after, that's just a dream . It's a
point you pass through on your journey , so take what you achieve and
see what you can make of it in other areas. So maybe its an
instructional video, so what? Maybe you open a studio, maybe you are a
producer. Don't stay in the same lane until you crash, utilise what
you've achieved and go further.
Many thanks to Dee Snider for his words of wisdom to the many, and to the Twisted Sister team for making the interview happen.
You can check out photos from Twisted Sister's set at Hard Rock Hell here.
-Krissy Elliott
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Stay Hungry was not released in 2004. Actually it was released 20 years earlier in 1984. The album you're thinking of is actually called 'Still Hungry', which is a re-recording of the original Stay Hungry album which the band did to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary and as such, does not constitute as 'new material'.
'A Twisted Christmas' aside, the last proper Twisted Sister studio album of new material was 'Love is for Suckers' back in 1987, which broke the band up as it was originally intended to be a Dee Snider solo album.
C'mon guys, I'm only 21. How do I know more about Twisted Sister than you? Hehehe