Twist and Shout
When asked to think of some of the best frontmen in rock and metal, the names of Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop are always thrown into the ring, still in contention many years after their heyday purely because age seems not to have diluted their fiery performance nature. Grab a chisel and a mallet; Twisted Sister's Dee Snider needs to be permanently engraved onto this list of creditworthy vocalists. At the age of 56, Snider may be a few years younger than the aforementioned icons, but to deliver such a spirited, energetic show at an age where most people's knees are starting to give way is quite a feat. Much of the festival fans had flocked to the main stage at this point to see Avenged Sevenfold's explosive show, but a gem of a set was soon to unveil itself on the second stage.
The lack of preparation that festival slots offer admittedly did seem to affect opener 'What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You),' with the sound initially being rather muddy and lacking in bite. Yet, as the group reached following song 'The Kids Are Back,' imbalances had been rectified and the show was in full flow. Tracks such as 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Under the Blade' have always emanated from blaring stereos on a zephyr of attitude, but the live performance of these songs is truly extraordinary in comparison. Delivered with gusto and fervour, the veterans of rock sure were out to show the young talent on the bill just how it's done. Whilst Twisted Sister did gain a huge cheer for calling Simon Cowell an "asshole" when praising the heritage of British rock music, crowd elation levels were at an all time high as the band cruised into hair metal hits 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock'.
The renowned metallers may have disbanded numerous times and cycled through many line-ups over their four decade lifespan, but the Twisted Sister machine continues to power on. The quintet clearly feel that they are indebted to the British fans for their continued success, especially considering that it was their popularity in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s that facilitated their rise to worldwide stardom, and this gratefulness was certainly evident in the passionate performance that they offered to their Donington audience. All together now: "I WANNA ROCK!"