Twisted Sister live at Solnahallen/Stockholm November 14th 2007

As you might have noticed, I love going to concerts and experiencing live music in general. Yesterday was a special night for me, seeing the band which was the first major rock concert I ever attended, play again in Sweden.

In 1986, 12 years old, I went to see Twisted Sister play at Isstadion in Stockholm. I remember that outside of the arena we haggled down the price for two scarves from 40 SEK down to 50 SEK for two. I tied it around my head like a bandana, and there I was, eager like never before and filled up with anticipation. I might have had glasses that were slightly too big for me, and perhaps I didn’t look all that cool, but it didn’t really matter. I was happy! πŸ™‚

21 years later, I get the chance to see Twisted Sister play once again on Swedish soil. Many mixed emotions: 21 years since last time, I’m ancient! And in that case, how old must they be?! How will it sound? Will I be disappointed and perhaps ruin a good memory, or will it be a wonderful trip down memory lane?

Lucky to say, it was the latter and I had a great, great time!

The band

Nowadays, Twisted Sister play very few gigs, and according to the band themselves yesterday, they have only played 55 gigs in the latest five year, since they reunited. Last night was only their fifth gig in a row, and I believe they will be going home to the US after this. I have to say that I’m amazed that it basically sounds the same like it did back in the day (meaning the 80s)! Maybe they’re not the tightest band on the planet, but if they had more road time, I’m sure that wouldn’t be a problem.

Another thing that hit me, and especially opposed to some other reunited bands I’ve seen, Twisted Sister seemed to seriously enjoy themselves, and the sheer happiness and enthusiasm the band radiated was fantastic! TO me it seemed they were exuberant. Not everyone must be dead serious all the time, but instead just focus on having fun. Something more people definitely should focus on.

Their outfits

Basically, they were wearing the same clothes like they did during the Stay Hungry-era, and they wore identical make-up as well. If you didn’t get too close, you could actually imagine that you were back in 1986, seeing a great and entertaining band. Their physical appearances have changed a little since 20 years ago, but not any major chances (except for a wig on one of them, that is).

Dee Snider

Dee blew me away yesterday! The energy he has, constantly giving everything he has, was outstanding. His crowd interaction, anecdotes and talks were very funny and amusing, and I must say that he’s a fantastic front man! I’m sure he has also influenced a lot of the best front men we see today.

Music unifies

What struck me the most yesterday was that everyone, both the band and the audience, were so happy! The crowd, to say the least, was very mixed with people who would probably never even talk to each other under normal circumstances. But once the music started, everyone was delighted, smiling and feeling a togetherness which is very rare to see. I was a touched by feeling so good, and also to share this nostalgic moment with all these other people, who it apparently meant a great deal for too.

If ever get the chance to see Twisted Sister live, and these moments are rare, make sure not to miss out on it!

Again?

There are few concerts where I’d say, the day after, that I’d love to go see the same show that night again. But yesterday is without a doubt something I would love to relive tonight again!

However, this evening is dedicated to explaining to my daughters why I, last night, would rather go see men with make-up dancing on a stage, than spending time with them instead…

Oh well, I just guess I’m an SMF at times. πŸ™‚

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.