TWISTED SISTER’s back, baby! Founding guitarist JAY JAY FRENCH just spilled the tea on the band’s 2026 50th-anniversary world tour. The OG trio—FRENCH, shrieking legend DEE SNIDER, and shredder EDDIE OJEDA—are reuniting, but bassist MARK “THE ANIMAL” MENDOZA is sitting this one out. (Cue dramatic soap opera music.) Stepping in? RUSSELL PZÜTTO, who’s been SNIDER’s solo bass buddy. On drums: JOE FRANCO, aka “JOEY NUMBER SEVEN” (because TS has cycled through drummers like Spinal Tap—RIP A.J. PERO).
FRENCH dropped a video rant (via BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, the secret’s out… We’re celebrating 50 years of chaos since February 16th, 1976. Yeah, we’re older than your dad’s mixtape. 14 ex-members later, we’re headlining Euro festivals and cherry-picking U.S. gigs starting May 2026. Fun fact: Our drummer JOEY SEVEN? He’s technically the 10th now. Math is hard when you’ve had MIKE PORTNOY and even FRANKIE BANALI (RIP) sit in once. Rock ‘n’ roll roulette, people!”
Meanwhile, DEE SNIDER—now a spry 70—told EDDIE TRUNK on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation” that he’s trading carbs for cardio: “I’ve gotta outrun Father Time! After whining about missing pancakes during our ‘retirement,’ I’m back in the gym. 20-song sets? Challenge accepted. I’ll make Gen Z kids cry at their gym selfies.” He also joked about rewriting “I WANNA ROCK” as “I WANT A CARB”—a mood.
Why no MENDOZA? DEE shrugged: “Irreconcilable differences. RUSS PZÜTTO nailed it at GRASPOP once, so… next!” FRENCH added, “Bands age like milk. We’ve had 10 bassists. KISS and AEROSMITH get it. We’re joining the ‘Still Alive Somehow’ club!”
Mark your calendars for May 2026 (exact dates TBA—they’re “confirming,” aka arguing over WiFi passwords). Euro fests first, then U.S. chaos. And yes, they’ll play “WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT”… because you’ll scream until they do.
P.S. Remember their 2001 NEW YORK STEEL reunion? Or that 2023 METAL HALL OF FAME gig where Ojeda caught COVID and KEITH ROBERT WAR subbed? Rock history, folks. Never a dull moment.
