TWISTED SISTER: Less Theatre, More Rock ’n’ Roll

When TWISTED SISTER return to the stage this year as part of their anniversary reunion run, there's one thing fans won't be seeing. The heavy make-up that defined the band's image for decades is officially a thing of the past—and according to Jay Jay French, it's the best decision they ever made.

The band's founding guitarist and manager recently recalled the moment TWISTED SISTER ditched the make-up—and it happened almost by accident. It was 2008, and the band was booked to play a massive festival in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, alongside acts like KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, JOURNEY, and WHITESNAKE. But singer Dee Snider got stuck at a New York airport due to bad weather and arrived literally at the last possible moment—by helicopter, without luggage, without costumes, without make-up.

"We were just wearing T-shirts and jeans. And we said: alright, let's go out there and tear it up," French recalls. The band played the set completely in civilian clothes—something they had never done before. And the result? The next day, a major national Dutch newspaper published a large festival report. The only photo? TWISTED SISTER. The only band described as delivering an "almost religious experience."

That was the turning point. "We said to ourselves: why are we wearing all this stuff anyway?" The make-up was gone—and the fan reaction? Practically nonexistent. According to French, they received exactly one email, simply asking: "I thought you wore make-up."

The opposite proved true. Without the visual barrier, the band reached people who had previously dismissed them purely because of their appearance. Audiences grew, festivals got bigger, and toward the end of their career TWISTED SISTER were regularly playing to tens of thousands of fans—sometimes well over a hundred thousand in a single night.

The 50th anniversary reunion will feature the classic trio of Jay Jay French, Dee Snider, and Eddie Ojeda. Bass duties will be handled by Russell Pzütto, with Joe Franco on drums. Mark Mendoza will not be taking part in the celebrations, a situation the band has declined to comment on further.

TWISTED SISTER are entering this next chapter without masks—but with their heads held high. No caricature. No glitter. Just pure, loud, and uncompromising rock 'n' roll.