WEST SPRINGFIELD — If you wanna rock this fall, the Big E has the show for you. Legendary ‘80s heavy metal band Twisted Sister is slated to take the Big E Arena stage at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 for the only Northeast stop on their 50th Anniversary Tour.
And it’s a tour with its own twist, as Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach will be replacing the band’s longtime lead singer Dee Snider.
Snider had to pull out of the tour shortly after the tour dates were originally announced due to health issues.
“It was doing it, then not doing it, then doing it, to contacting Sebastian,” founding guitarist and Twisted Sister manager Jay Jay French told Reminder Publishing of the convoluted road that brought the band back together for this anniversary tour. Ironically, it was Snider, French added, who had convinced him and fellow founding member Eddie Ojeda to originally commit to the tour.
The last time the band performed together was a one-off at their induction into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2023.
French said Twisted Sister fans should still expect a show worthy of their legend.
“We replaced Dee with a bona fide superstar,” French said, adding that Twisted Sister isn’t the only iconic band that’s seen changes to their talent lineup and still gone on to produce great shows. Freddie Mercury, frontman for Queen, was replaced by an American Idol contestant, Adam Lambert. Sammy Hagar replaced Aerosmith’s David Lee Roth. When fans want the music, bands find a way to keep providing the magic, French said.
“And Sebastian is a big fan of Twisted Sister,” French shared.
French said Twisted Sister is ready to give fans a night to remember when they take the stage at the Big E. The audience can expect to hear their legendary rock anthems “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as well as deep cuts like “Under the Blade” and “Burn in Hell.” The current setlist includes two of French’s admitted favorites from the band’s early albums, “We’re Gonna Make It” and “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n Roll.” Bach is expected to add at least two Skid Row covers, “I Remember You” and “Youth Gone Wild,” to the setlist mix.
“If they’ve seen us before, they know what to expect,” French said of the upcoming Big E show. “If they haven’t seen us, they will see a performance that equals or exceeds the legend that Twisted Sister has created.”
Twisted Sister will share the stage that night with fellow 1980s rock band Tesla. Advance tickets are required, and the concert is expected to be a sellout. To get tickets to Twisted Sister at the Big E Arena, which includes admission to the fair, visit tinyurl.com/TSist.
