Twisted Sister Jay Jay slams 'idiot' classic bands for playing new songs

Jay Jay French
Jay Jay French (Image credit: Getty)

Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French says “no one cares” when older rock bands release new music.

The guitarist describes classic groups who insist on playing material from their latest records live as “idiots” and “delusional.”

French tells Goldmine: “Let’s be honest. Any classic band that releases a new record is an idiot for playing it. I mean, they can justify it all they want but no one cares. Let me tell you, you’re a bunch of stupid fools if you think that anyone gives a shit. They don’t.

“They say they do, but they don’t. Which is why most of these classic bands make a new album, go out on a tour, start out with five songs from the new record, after a few weeks there are two songs and then they just want to play that one new song and get it over with.

“Because no one knows it and no one gives a shit about it, and they’re delusional to think they do.”

Twisted Sister have not released any new original material since 1987’s Love Is for Suckers. Their 2006 album A Twisted Christmas features classic festive covers and 2004’s Still Hungry was a re-recording of 1984’s Stay Hungry.

French says they are simply giving the audience what they want.

“Another delusional thing is, ‘Let’s alter the arrangements and be hip,’” he says.

“No one gives a shit about that either. If you’re a great entertainer, you’ll give them exactly what they want to hear, exactly how they want to hear it. That’s what great entertainers do. Idiot entertainers don’t do that.”

Twisted Sister’s Forty And Fuck It farewell tour wraps up this year.

Twisted Sister remaining tour dates 2016

Jun 10: Sweden Rocks Festival, Sweden
Jun 12: Nova Rock Festival, Austria
Jun 18: Hellfest, France
Jun 19: Graspop Festival, Belgium
Jun 24: Montebello Rock Fest, QC
Jul 14: Guitare En Scene Festival, France
Jul 17: Barcelona Rock Fest, Spain
Jul 23: Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, Mexico
Aug 05: Porispere Festival, Finland
Aug 06: Wacken Open Air, Germany
Aug 12: Bloodstock Open Air, UK
Oct 01: Lakewood Rock Carnival, NJ

Twisted Sister: We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.