Twisted Sister - Double Live
(Eagle Records - 2011)

2 different gigs that are about 2 decades apart. 1st up is North Stage '82 from their last gig at the club in Long Island befoire they headed off to the UK to record their debut album for Secret Records. Man that's damn loud unless its crap PA in the club venue. 'What You Don't Know' opens it up like every 'Sister show thereon "You got hands, use 'em", Dee Screams at them for 'Destroyer' and rocks them up in songs like 'Bad Boys Of Rock 'N' Roll'; 'Leader Of The Pack' with shades and Harley on stage; 'It's Only Rock 'N' Roll and gets them going like hell on fire - well he did clean toilets for a living so Dee knows how shit life can get but rock 'n' roll kept him going. There are cool bits when they get the kids standing up on someones shoulders to get down as they are blocking the view of the camera or giving the so called too cool people a good slag off cos they were too cool to have a good time in their life.

The band are so happy with the support over the last 6 years of playing the club scene in thr 50 mile radius that they even give them a round of applause and treat them to 'It's Only Rock N Roll' and the long gone 'Rock 'n' Roll Saviours' that closes the special night. Also included on the DVD are interviewed from the now from all 5 members of the band of what the gig meant to them, the closing of the club scene and getting A.J. Pero as the new drummer in the band who had that day had 3 wisdom teeth taken out with the painkillers wearing off the 3rd song in - so apologises for not smiling very much - haha - we forgive you brother!

The 2nd DVD is the reunion of the band that Eddie Trunk put together as a tribute to the people who lost their lives in 9/11. He wanted to make it a special night for New York and Metal in general so wanted to get a major headliner in that hadn't played live together for a very long time - that band in quesation was New York's Twisted Sister. This is a gig that spawned life to the line-up getting together on a more permanent basis. The band are playing in street clothes with Jay Jay French having short hair and Mark Mendoza having a wavy shoulder length mullet at the time.

Dee is wearing that now famous t-shirt that has 'Fuck Osama' on the back of it who goes further by moaning about VH1 because they didn't want Twisted Sister to play the Madison Square Gardens gig. The set is very much a bunch of famous crowd pleasers that haven't been heard in years, aptly having 'The Kids Are Back' early on in the set and doing a mellower number dedicated to the terrorists that goes by the name of 'Burn In Hell'. They pack in some never heard since the club days songs that are 'Come Back' and 'I Never Cry' as well as pleasing the masses with hits such as 'Under The Blade'; 'I Wanna Rock' that Dee heard in football stadiums way after the band split and my most fave song in the set which is 'Shoot 'Em Down'. Ok he fluffs a few words but give the guy some credit, he ain't sung these songs with the band in years and it turns out he got a dodgy mike too. The musical side of Messrs Mendoza, Pero, French and Ojeda and are in fine form and it's like they were only playing the previous night on stage with each other.

There are also after thoughts about the New York Steel Gig as well, getting back together for it, input from Eddie Trunk and how each and everyone of them were affected by the trauma of 9/11. You even get to see footage of the guys rehearsing for the show as well.

Good stuff.

10/10

By Glenn Milligan