TWISTED SISTER's JAY JAY FRENCH: 'People Don't Understand The Physicality Of Playing High-End Metal'

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French spoke about the physical demands of playing in a touring rock band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "People don't understand the physicality of playing high-end metal. They don't get it. [Playing] high-end metal is like a football game. It's like going to war. And you can't just go — you need to train back up.

"When TWISTED came back in 2003 [following a long hiatus], the first show we played was Sweden Rock [Festival], and we hadn't played in front of a crowd like that in years, and we weren't ready," he admitted. "And even though we were headlining, 'cause they were given the headlining spot over YES and JETHRO TULL, which, believe me, was mind-blowing. 'Cause I would see those guys when I was in high school and now they're opening for me, which was really weird. I felt embarrassed. I'm apologizing to them: 'The promoter did this. It's not me.' Anyway, it wasn't a good show, and we realized it. And so when we came back to do Bang Your Head!!! [in Germany] three weeks later, we said to our agent, 'Put us in a smaller room the day before. We need to get our sea legs back.'"

French continued: "It's kind of like if you're a lineman in a pro football game and you're facing another dude who weighs exactly what you do, which is 325 pounds, and you're about to hit helmets, you better be ready to hit helmets, motherfucker, because if you're not ready to get your head hit, you don't know what's coming. It's gonna send a lightning bolt through your body and freak you out. And you need to understand that psychology. Also, as a guitar player, especially in a two-guitar band, the intrinsic ability for the meshing of the distortions to be correct — you've gotta get it right — gotta get those guitar parts right. And it's an art form. That's why we can do it and a lot of people can't. It's an art form, And only you develop that art form by doing it thousands of times. And we needed to get our sea legs back."

A year and a half ago, TWISTED SISTER took part in a one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were French, singer Dee Snider, bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza and Mike Portnoy, who has played drums for TWISTED SISTER since the passing of former member A.J. Pero. Guitarist Eddie Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War.

The highlight of the ceremony — which also saw FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, NWOBHM heroes RAVEN, and guitarists Chris Impellitteri and Doug Aldrich honored — was TWISTED SISTER's 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".

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

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.