Twisted Sister Announces The Band’s Farewell Tour With Mike Portnoy As Drummer
Twisted Sister will be play two concerts, as the band’s farewell tour, in honor of their late drummer A.J. Pero, Rolling Stone reported. Twister Sister will play at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas on May 30 and at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, on June 13, and Pero’s family will attend that show. Both shows of the band’s farewell tour will feature former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy filling in for Pero.
“The tribute gigs for Pero, who died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 55, will take place on both coasts: On May 30th, the band will perform at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as part of that venue’s Metal Meltdown, which also features Extreme, Skid Row and Great White. That gig will be filmed for 3D worldwide cinema release, TV broadcast, and DVD/CD release. Two weeks later, with Pero’s family in attendance, Twisted Sister will play Sayreville, New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom on June 13th,” Rolling Stone reported.
The band played their first shows with Dee Snider as lead singer in 1976 and have also dubbed the band’s farewell tour as the “Forty and f*** It” tour as well.
Blabbermouth.net reported that Mike Portnoy would be the drummer in the farewell tour for Twisted Sister.
“All TWISTED SISTER shows this year will feature the core lineup of Dee Snider (vocals), Jay Jay French (guitar), Mark Mendoza (bass) and Eddie Ojeda (guitar), along with Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, ADRENALINE MOB, THE WINERY DOGS) on drums,” Blabbermouth.net reported.
Blabbermouth reported that Jay Jay, Writing on his blog at Preview.inc.com, said: “I realize that our collective history is so long, so deep, so intertwined that A.J.’s death has shaken us to the core. It made me realize the fundamental connection that we as a band and as a company share as friends with a nearly 40-year history.”
A.J. Pero, the band’s long time drummer, died on March 20, the Inquisitr reported last month. The band’s farewell tour is therefore dedicated to Pero.
“The band famously sang “We’re Not Going to Take It,” but Twisted Sister is taking it to the road one last time before calling it quits, People Magazine reported, because after this farewell tour they will be breaking up as a band.
One could be skeptical that this really is the band’s farewell and last tour, because so many before them have announced such and then later got back together again to do another farewell tour.
[Photo of Twisted Sister in 1982 from People.com]
