Dee Snider Live At The Croxton

There weren’t too many bands that I wanted to see more than Twisted Sister.  So while it wasn’t the same, I was pretty pumped to be going to see Dee Snider. In my eyes he is a legend.  His outspoken ways make him more interesting than most in the metal world. 

This would also be my first time going to The Croxton. I doubt that it would be as good as The Corner but I heard good things so I was intrigued. 

Starting off the night was called The Blacktides.  They definitely weren’t my thing, they were a two piece band that were average at best. The main problem was that they seemed out of place for a Dee Snider gig. They didn’t seem like an act that would have been inspired by his music. This was a shame because there are plenty of bands that would have done a better job. 

As Judas Priest’s Exciter played Dee Snider and his band took to the stage. What followed was a combination of songs from throughout his career.  Although I would have like some more Twisted Sister I was please with his performance. 

At 64 he sounded terrific and was energetic on stage.  Of his solo material Tomorrow’s No Concern was the standout.  When it came to Twisted Sister there was plenty to enjoy. We’re Not Gonna Take It was sung by all.  The Clive Palmer controversy only adding to its appeal.  Personal favorites like You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll and Under The Blade were both brilliant.  For me though I Wanna Rock was the best song he played.  Snider got the crowd fully involved in this one and it’s something I never tire of.

The show to a close with the ACDC classic Highway To Hell.  While this sounded great I found it to be a bit of a waste.  With a back catalogue like Snider has it would have nice to hear one more Twisted Sister song.  I would have like to hear What You Don’t Know Sure Can Hurt You, but you can’t have everything. 

After the show I found time to catch up with many of the metal gang and we were all in agreement that it had been a good gig. This rounded out the night well. 

It had been 34 years between visits to Australia for Dee Snider and he promised it wouldn’t be that long again.  We can only hope that’s the case and that he’ll be back doing his thing sooner rather than later.