SEBASTIAN BACH Says The First Three TWISTED SISTER Shows With Him On Vocals Were 'Incredible'

In a new interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT FM's Cameron Buchholtz, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach spoke about being chosen to front TWISTED SISTER for the latter band's fall 2026 shows after iconic singer Dee Snider resigned from TWISTED SISTER due to "health challenges". Regarding how the first three shows went with him on vocals, Sebastian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They've been incredible. I think the best one was Alaska State Fair [on September 4], which was the biggest crowd they said they've ever had there, which was a huge outside venue. Portland [Oregon State Fair] was great as well, but it was kind of rainy that day, but it was still great. And Jersey [the first show on August 28 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville] was really special."

Alluding to the fact that he was once the frontman of SKID ROW, which formed 40 years ago in in Toms River, New Jersey, the Canadian-raised Bach continued: "It was awesome, 'cause TWISTED SISTER's not the first band that I started in New Jersey. [Laughs] There was another one — a long, long, long time ago. But if you've ever been to the Starland Ballroom, the way it's formatted is when the band comes on, they have to walk into the room, and the whole crowd can see when the band is ready to start, 'cause that's the way the stage is. So when we walked in, all five of TWISTED SISTER, when we walked in the room, when I walked in and the crowd saw me, they [gave me] a really heartwarming, New Jersey-style welcome. And I almost got teary-eyed because we were right about to go on, an AC/DC song is playing, and 'What You Don't Know [Sure Can Hurt You]' by TWISTED is such an intense opener. I've always thought it was one of the best opening songs of any band ever. 'Good evening. Welcome to our show.' It's so heavy to me, just hearing that [song intro]. I can't fake chills — I can't fake that. I cannot fake chills in my arms. Just thinking about that intro gives me chills. I don't even have to hear it. I can think about hearing it."

Asked if he was nervous singing for TWISTED SISTER for the first time and whether there were any issues with him remembering all the lyrics, Bach said: "Well, credit where credit's due, there's a lot more words in TWISTED SISTER songs than you think. The song 'Under The Blade' is like a story. It paints a picture. 'Burn In Hell' has a lot of words. There was more than I thought. So I'm still getting the words completely right. I don't have them 100%, but that's okay. So I'm getting it. [Laughs]"

As for why he and the rest of TWISTED SISTER's current touring lineup decided to throw a couple of SKID ROW songs — "I Remember You" and "Youth Gone Wild" — into the set, Bach said: "Well, I mean, why not? I'm pretty sure when Paul Rodgers filled in for Freddie Mercury in QUEEN, I know they did a couple of BAD COMPANY tunes. And it just makes sense because I kind of learned how to be Sebastian from locking myself in my bedroom and singing along to the two albums 'Under The Blade' and 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll' — and 'Stay Hungry'. But by 'Stay Hungry'… My passion for TWISTED is kind of before Atlantic Records got too involved. They did put out 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll', but 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll' is such a metal album; it's a heavy metal album. And more so even is 'Under The Blade' — very, very metal. 'Tear It Loose', 'Destroyer' — I mean, you can't mess with those kind of songs. But I still like 'Stay Hungry'. We're doing a tune called 'The Beast', which is a deep cut that I love singing. It's a really great melody."

Sebastian continued: "When you say, 'Are there nerves?' The nerves that I get as a singer is not really the show. It's the fact that every single person is holding up their phone and filming it. And before I get to my hotel room, the whole show is being dissected and analyzed. And no musician likes that. It really sucks. Thank God I'm talented as fuck… It's not a worry, but if you wanna put yourself in my shoes… I'm just saying my job is to go out there and go crazy, go nuts and bring all the energy I got. At the same time, recording perfect videos. [laughs] It's two different things. It's two different things."

Bach added: "Some people say, 'Why do you have a drum shield around the drums?' 'Cause you're filming the fucking show. And I have to sing as good as I can, and I don't have a volume knob that goes louder than the cymbals. So, guess what you get? You get a drum shield. That's what you get. And I've seen some videos that are great. I've seen a, a bunch of them. I gotta tell you, I was really determined to do the song 'The Price' as best I could, because that melody and the lyric really means a lot to me, and I think it's an incredible song. And we're doing the whole set in the original keys of the original recordings. There's not one song that's tuned down. We're not changing the keys. The whole set, including 'The Price', is the original key. We don't have any tapes."

TWISTED SISTER's new touring lineup consists of Bach on lead vocals, Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda on guitar, Russell Pzütto on bass, and Joey Cassata on drums.

The aforementioned August 28 concert at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey was originally announced as a performance by BENT BROTHER — TWISTED SISTER's alter ego — before it started being officially promoted as the debut live appearance of TWISTED SISTER's new touring lineup.

TWISTED SISTER will play an additional eight shows this fall, including on September 27 at the Washington State Fair Event Center in Puyallup, Washington.

Pzütto, who had previously toured with Snider's solo projects, has replaced bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza on bass. Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, was supposed to sit behind the drum kit, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55. However, Franco is not available to play the fall 2026 shows and is being replaced by Cassata, who played drums on Ace Frehley's final original solo album, "10,000 Volts".

TWISTED SISTER canceled a previously planned 50th-anniversary tour on February 5, citing Snider's resignation.

Snider said in a statement in February that he suffers from degenerative arthritis, and is only able to "perform a few songs at a time in pain." He also said that his intense rocking over the years has "taken its toll on his heart as well."

"I don't know of any other way to rock," Snider said. "The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I'd rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self."

Three and a half years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and drummer Mike Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.