Dee Snider Rules Out Any Tour With Mr. Mister, Citing a Bad Past
When a fan recently floated the idea of Twisted Sister touring alongside Mr. Mister, the suggestion seemed harmless enough. Both bands rose to fame in the 1980s, and nostalgia tours have paired stranger acts over the years. But the response from Dee Snider made it clear this was never going to happen.
Snider didn’t hedge or soften his answer. Responding on X, he dismissed the idea outright and hinted that the history between the two bands wasn’t just awkward, but openly hostile. The bluntness of his reply caught attention, especially given how rarely he revisits old industry disputes.
The exchange was brief, but it reopened a small chapter of rock history that many fans likely didn’t know existed. Beneath the surface, it pointed to a clash that went far beyond musical differences.
The Howard Stern Incident That Still Lingers
The fan’s question asked whether Twisted Sister ever felt a sense of kinship with Mr. Mister and suggested the two bands should have toured together. Snider’s response cut that idea down immediately, referencing a past incident on The Howard Stern Show.
“I once surprise attacked those lying sacks of sh*t on the Howard Stern show so… no,” he wrote, offering no additional context. While the wording was extreme, it suggested a confrontation that left a lasting impression on him.
Snider didn’t explain what led to the outburst or what was said on the show, but the fact that he brought it up decades later suggests the moment stuck. Whatever happened, it clearly crossed a line that he has no interest in revisiting.
Two Bands From Very Different Worlds
Twisted Sister and Mr. Mister occupied very different corners of the 1980s music landscape. Twisted Sister, formed in 1972, built their reputation on loud, aggressive metal and a confrontational image that thrived on excess and attitude.
Mr. Mister, on the other hand, came from a polished pop-rock background. Emerging after Richard Page and Steve George’s earlier band Pages, they found massive success with radio-friendly hits like “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie,” dominating charts in the mid-’80s.
Even without personal friction, the pairing would have been unusual. One band thrived on rebellion and volume, while the other leaned into melody, restraint, and mainstream appeal. Snider’s reaction suggests the stylistic gap was matched by something far more personal.
A Forgotten Connection Behind the Scenes
Despite the bad blood implied by Snider’s comment, the two camps weren’t completely separate during their peak years. Richard Page actually contributed backing vocals to Twisted Sister’s 1984 album Stay Hungry, the record that cemented the band’s place in rock history.
That collaboration came during a pivotal moment for Page, who was weighing major career offers. He famously turned down opportunities to join Toto and later Chicago, choosing instead to focus on Mr. Mister as the band surged commercially.
The irony is hard to miss. Even with a shared studio credit on one of the era’s biggest rock albums, any sense of camaraderie clearly didn’t last. Decades later, Snider’s refusal makes it clear that whatever happened offstage outweighed any brief professional overlap.
