The night METALLICA opened for TWISTED SISTER!!! Say WHAT??

The night METALLICA opened for TWISTED SISTER!!! Say WHAT??

Heavy Metal Spectacular!!!

METALLICA opened for TWISTED SISTER and that was an amazing show.

Dee Snider: You were at the Fountain Casino show?! [December 30, 1983 in Aberdeen, New Jersey]

Powerline: Yeah. What were you thinking about METALLICA at that time? Did you think, “Wow, this band is going to be huge?”

Dee Snider: I didn’t even know they were on the bill. I didn’t even know they existed. And Jonny Z [of Megaforce Records], who was a big supporter of TWISTED, crammed them on the bill.

When we toured with METALLICA in Europe, they said, “We played with you guys in Jersey. And I was like, “You did?!” I didn’t even know. I was oblivious to the opening band. In effect, it was like a “no-name.” And I was never out before the show.

I was always in the back getting ready. You never saw me. You didn’t see me walking around the club. You only saw me on the stage and then I disappear. I’d get there before the doors opened and I left when the doors closed. You weren’t supposed to see a rock star walking around like a human being. So I had no idea METALLICA played.

But during that tour [1984], I remember clear as a bell when we arrived in Holland we see these posters that had a huge METALLICA with like a troll head an early symbol they used and on the bottom it said “and TWISTED SISTER” in little letters. So I said to our tour manager, “Tell METALLICA they can close.

Obviously people are coming to see them.” And my tour manager comes back and says they said no. I said, “No?” He said, “Well, they said it seems suspicious. They are confused. Why would you give up the headline slot? What are you up to?”

I went into their dressing rooms and said, “Guys, the people are clearly here to see you. I’m not a complete asshole. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m the headliner. It’s obvious you’re the guys that everyone is coming to see.” So they closed the show. As a result, it was the one time I got to see them.

And I still remember standing on the side of the stage, watching their set and I turned to Mark [Mendoza] and I said these words, “These guys got a lot of heart but they’re never gonna go anywhere.” So that’s what I thought of METALLICA. (laughs) I just thought they were too heavy. It’s so heavy, there is no commercial accessibility, there’s nothing for them to get through to the mainstream audience.

They would just be one of those great heavy bands. You know the OVERKILLs, the CARNIVOREs, one of those bands. I admit saying that. (laughs) Nobody hears it all, all the time. Nobody sees it all. You get it sometimes, you completely miss it other times. Who knew that people’s taste would become acclimated to that much heavier of a sound.

YESTERDAY, TODAY, EVERYDAY HEAVY METAL!! 🤘🏻👍👊

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