Dee Snider: The live music industry is screwed

(Image credit: John Raptis)

Former Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider has said that the live music industry is “screwed” while the COVID-19 pandemic lasts – and he isn’t sure when it will bounce back.

Speaking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Snider says: “The live music industry is screwed for the time being. It’s hopefully not screwed forever, but this is certainly going to leave a mark.

“Everything that’s happening is just horribly damaging, especially for young artists who don’t have the legacy or the licencing or branding that a band like Twisted Sister has.”

Snider, who was due to play summer shows with the hard rock supergroup Kings Of Chaos, adds that he isn’t sure whether people will return to gig-going even when restrictions are fully lifted.

He says: “How are people going to feel when gigs are back on? Will they even come? Will they be standing shoulder to shoulder in the audience, or are they going to be wearing masks?

“As fan and as a performer, rock’n’roll is about that one-ness - those moments where a massive audience and the band and the song connect and we’re all one.

“If that's not there, I don’t want it any more. That's not rock'n'roll. It better get back out there, cos I don’t think I want to do it if it doesn't. I'm like an old brat who's behaving like a child: ‘I want my rock'n'roll!’”

Snider will release a brand new live DVD/album, For The Love Of Metal Live, on July 31. The tracklisting features a mix of Twisted Sister classics, song from his solo career, plus a cover of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell and a brand new song, Prove Me Wrong.

“It’s about the challenge of going back out there and doing this,” he says. “A challenge to myself, a challenge from other people. And I’ll do it as long as I can.”

Dee Snider: For The Love Of Metal Live tracklisting

1. Lies Are A Business
2. Tomorrow's No Concern
3. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
4. The Beast
5. American Made
6. Under The Blade
7. The Kids Are Back
8. Become The Storm
9. We're Not Gonna Take It
10. I Am The Hurricane
11. Burn In Hell
12. I Wanna Rock
13. For The Love Of Metal
14. Highway To Hell
15. Ready To Fall Live (Bonus Track)
16. The Fire Still Burns Live (Bonus Track)
17. Roll Over You Live (Bonus Track)
18. Prove Me Wrong

Dave Everley has been writing about and occasionally humming along to music since the early 90s. During that time, he has been Deputy Editor on Kerrang! and Classic Rock, Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that order. He has written for Metal Hammer, Louder, Prog, the Observer, Select, Mojo, the Evening Standard and the totally legendary Ultrakill. He is still waiting for Billy Gibbons to send him a bottle of hot sauce he was promised several years ago.