THE BEAST

TWISTED SISTER returned to the stage Friday night (August 28) at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, marking the first live performance of the band's current touring lineup featuring former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach on lead vocals.

The performance is part of a limited series of 2026 shows that sees Bach stepping behind the microphone following Dee Snider's departure from TWISTED SISTER earlier this year.

Joining Bach in the current lineup are founding guitarist Jay Jay French, longtime guitarist Eddie Ojeda, bassist Russell Pzütto and drummer Joey Cassata.

The show was originally announced under the BENT BROTHER name, a longtime TWISTED SISTER alter ego, before ultimately being promoted as the first live appearance of the Bach-fronted lineup.

The band delivered a 17-song set spanning several eras of its catalog, with a particularly heavy emphasis on the material from TWISTED SISTER's early years.

The setlist was:

1. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
2. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
3. We're Gonna Make It
4. Shoot 'Em Down
5. Tear It Loose
6. Destroyer
7. The Kids Are Back
8. Like A Knife In The Back
9. Ride To Live, Live To Ride
10. Under The Blade
11. The Beast
12. Burn In Hell
13. The Price
14. I Remember You (SKID ROW)
15. I Wanna Rock
16. Youth Gone Wild (SKID ROW)
17. We're Not Gonna Take It

Bach also performed two SKID ROW classics, "I Remember You" and "Youth Gone Wild," giving fans a chance to hear the singer revisit some of the material that originally made him a household name in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The pairing of Bach and TWISTED SISTER is hardly random. Bach has been an outspoken fan of the band for decades and has repeatedly talked about the influence TWISTED SISTER had on him during his formative years.

In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF, Bach explained that he considers himself an especially devoted TWISTED SISTER fan and singled out Under The Blade and You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll as particular favorites.

Bach also emphasized that he intends to bring the aggressive energy of TWISTED SISTER's early club days to the stage.

"When they were a club band, they would come out there like a punk rock band or a total thrash metal band," Bach said. "That's the kind of energy that I'm gonna bring."

He added: "I'm the lead singer of TWISTED SISTER. How much fun is that to say?"

For Bach, the opportunity is clearly something considerably more personal than simply filling a vacant microphone position. He has repeatedly described himself as a genuine fan of the band and has said that he received Snider's blessing before taking on the role.

Snider's departure came after TWISTED SISTER's planned 50th-anniversary world tour was cancelled earlier this year. Snider cited health challenges, including degenerative arthritis, as a major factor in his decision to step away from performing with the band. He has subsequently made it clear that he supports Bach taking over for the scheduled shows.

That leaves one obvious question hanging over the future of TWISTED SISTER:

What happens after the Bach shows are over?

At this point, there is no indication that Bach is permanently replacing Snider or that TWISTED SISTER has officially established a new long-term lineup. The current arrangement has been presented as a series of select 2026 performances, and the band's official website continues to promote the dates specifically as TWISTED SISTER featuring Sebastian Bach on lead vocals.

Whether Snider ever returns to the stage with TWISTED SISTER remains an open question.

For now, however, Bach has the microphone, and Friday night's performance marked the first time audiences got to hear exactly what that combination sounds like in a full TWISTED SISTER concert.

And judging by the setlist, the band wasn't simply trotting out the greatest hits.

Songs like "Shoot 'Em Down," "Tear It Loose," "Destroyer," "Under The Blade" and "The Beast" suggest that this version of TWISTED SISTER is leaning heavily into the band's rawer, heavier material, something Bach has specifically expressed excitement about.

The band has additional performances scheduled throughout the remainder of 2026.

For the moment, the experiment is officially underway.

Whether Sebastian Bach is simply the voice of TWISTED SISTER for this particular chapter, or whether this turns into something more permanent, remains to be seen.

But there's no denying that hearing the former SKID ROW frontman step onstage and scream "We're Not Gonna Take It" with Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda is one hell of a sight for metal fans.