Dee Snider's rule for bands without classic members, tested the same week by Twisted Sister and Journey

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 01:50:26 +0000

Dee Snider says a band with nobody from the classic lineup should stay off the road. The week he said it, his own band went out with Sebastian Bach, and Journey put a Steve Perry lookalike on stage in Japan. The line is real, just not where the rulebook says.

The rule, in Snider’s words

Early in September, Dee Snider posted a set of videos on Facebook about bands that tour with no one from the lineup that made the records. Blabbermouth ran the quotes on September 5. His answer to “should they tour?” was a hard no: “I think it’s completely fucked up, it’s deceptive, it’s misrepresentative.” He went further: “stay the fuck off the road and keep that band’s name outta your mouth.” His condition for a legitimate show is short. “Original people from the classic lineup have to be in there.”

Dee Snider on Real Rock Lab

Dee Snider's rule for bands without classic members, tested the same week by Twisted Sister and Journey

The rule, in Snider’s words