DEE SNIDER On TWISTED SISTER’s 2026 Reunion Shows: “I’m Either Brave Or Stupid”

After nearly a decade of insisting that Twisted Sister was done for good (and making plenty of comments about bands that do otherwise), Dee Snider is walking back his stance — and he’s the first to admit he’s just as surprised as anyone.

In a new chat with Steve And Rik‘s POTcast, hosted by Kix vocalist Steve Whiteman and Rik Parks, Snider opened up about what made him reconsider bringing Twisted Sister back together nine years after their 40 And F*ck It! farewell tour wrapped up.

“Why am I doing a reunion with Twisted Sister?” Snider sighed. “I’ll say that it was my idea. The [other] guys couldn’t even believe I was making the call. And it had to do with — I said this publicly already — I had a little bit of a health scare. It was okay, but it was enough to make me say, ‘Wow, that was weird.’ I never had to think about those things before. And I’m 70 years old, and I’m, like, ‘Do I wanna go out like that, go silently, or do I wanna go kicking and screaming?'”

Snider said he picked up the phone and called guitarist Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda: “They couldn’t believe I was suggesting it, ’cause I told ’em, ‘[It’s] not happening. [It will] never happen.’ But circumstances, particularly emotional ones, made me change my mind. Am I regretting it? A little bit right now, sorry to say. [Laughs]”

Of course, Snider isn’t shy about the fact that time has taken its toll: “I know that I’ve lost a note. My voice is powerful as fuck. But I’m missing my top notes, and I hate that. People go, ‘Holy crap, man. Your voice sounds as strong as ever.’ And I go, ‘For four songs. Yeah, I’m great for four songs. But 90 minutes? 75 minutes? 60 minutes? That’s a lot.'”

Still, Snider‘s not taking this reunion lightly. The man’s back in North Carolina, surrounded by family, and he’s already planning weekly rehearsals with a local band to get back into fighting shape.

When Whiteman told him it was “brave” to step back into the ring after so long, Snider laughed: “I’m [either] brave or stupid. In 2016, I was 175 pounds, shredded, 29-inch waist — at 62! I’d take my shirt off and people were like, ‘What the actual fuck is going on there?’ Wives were hitting their husbands going, ‘Why don’t you look like that?'”

He continued: “When you start singing and you’re still delivering, the audience just lights up. I’d see fathers turning to their sons, going, ‘That’s Dee fucking Snider.’ They were being transported back to their youth through the performance. And I loved that. I don’t ever wanna see a look of dissatisfaction.”

The 2026 lineup will include Snider, founding guitarist Jay Jay French, and longtime lead guitarist Eddie Ojeda. Notably absent will be bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza, who has opted out of the reunion, with Snider describing the reasons as “irreconcilable differences”. Taking his place will be Russell Pzütto, a familiar face from Snider’s solo projects. Behind the drums will be Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015.

Twisted Sister‘s 2026 reunion shows are as follows (so far):

6/3–6/6 Sweden Rock Sweden
6/10 Milan, Italy Twisted Sister w/ Lordi and AMH
6/19 Belgium Graspop Festival
6/26 Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhell
6/27 Oslo, Norway Tons Of Rock Festival
7/3 Barcelona, Spain RockFest Barcelona
7/10 Bulgaria Midalidare Rock In The Wine Valley
7/23 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena
7/26 UK Steelhouse Festival
8/23 Aarburg, Switzerland Riverside Festival