Sebastian Bach has been adding a classic cover to his recent solo performances, taking on “I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister during a pair of shows earlier this month. Fan-filmed footage of the performances — captured on March 8 at The Newberry in Great Falls and March 13 at Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines — has surfaced online and can be seen below.
The cover arrives at an interesting moment for Bach, who recently confirmed he will be stepping in to front Twisted Sister for several select performances later this year. Guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda announced earlier this month that the former Skid Row vocalist will handle lead vocal duties for a handful of fall 2026 shows.
According to the announcement, the collaboration will not affect Bach’s ongoing solo activities. His touring schedule with his own band remains fully intact, and the Twisted Sister performances will take place alongside his existing plans. A short rehearsal clip featuring Bach and the band has also circulated online, giving fans a preview of the upcoming performances.
The development follows the recent cancellation of Twisted Sister’s planned 2026 reunion shows. On February 5, the group revealed that longtime frontman Dee Snider had stepped down due to health-related concerns. In a statement shared via social media, the band cited Dee’s “sudden and unexpected resignation” as the reason behind the cancellation of all dates scheduled from April through early summer.
In a new interview with Meltdown of WRIF, Bach spoke about how much the opportunity means to him and his long-standing admiration for the band.
He said: “I am a fan of Twisted Sister. And I’ll tell you right now, I’m probably a bigger fan of Twisted Sister than anybody watching this. I love that band. I used to go see them whenever I could. And I really love the album ‘You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll‘ with songs like ‘The Kids Are Back‘, ‘Ride To Live, Live To Ride‘. I love the Under The Blade album. I love ‘Shoot ‘Em Down‘, ‘Destroyer‘, ‘Tear It Loose‘. I mean, I love ‘I Wanna Rock‘, I love ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It‘, but there’s an earlier period of that band where they were one of the most ferocious rock bands that you will ever see. And if you saw them back then, you know what I’m talking about.”
Reflecting on the raw intensity of the band’s early club days, he promised to bring that same level of aggression and passion to the upcoming performances.
“When they were a club band, they would come out there like a punk rock band or a total thrash metal band. I mean, if you listen to their version of ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)‘ by The Rolling Stones, it’s like a speed metal tempo… Well, that’s the kind of energy that I’m gonna bring. I mean, I’m not no spring chicken, but I still have a lot of energy when I get on the stage. And I’m going to give you guys fun and energy in Twisted Sister.”
While he is thrilled to take on the massive new role, the vocalist clarified that he has no intentions of abandoning his own solo career or the classic hits that made him famous.
“I’m the lead singer of Twisted Sister,” he added. “How much fun is that to say? I love saying that, so I’m really looking forward to it. I will also say that I’ll never stop singing the [classic Skid Row] songs ‘18 And Life‘, ‘I Remember You‘, ‘Youth Gone Wild‘, ‘Monkey Business‘, ‘Slave To The Grind‘ — I’ll never stop doing that. So I’m not stopping my solo band. I’m continuing my solo band, but I’m doing shows with Twisted Sister that are bigger than my solo band. So it’s a step up for me. I’ll have a nicer dressing room and stuff.”
Summarizing his motivation for joining the tour, he noted:
“So … I’m looking forward to rocking out with Twisted Sister, because I love the music. And you cannot even challenge me on do I love the [music]. I really do love the music. So you can’t fake love — and I love Twisted Sister.”
The finalized 2026 touring lineup for Twisted Sister will feature Sebastian Bach performing alongside classic guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda. Taking over bass duties for Mark “The Animal” Mendoza will be Russell Pzütto, who previously toured as part of Dee Snider‘s solo band.
Additionally, the drum kit will be manned by Joey Cassata, known for his work on Ace Frehley‘s solo album, 10,000 Volts. He steps in as a replacement for Joe Franco, who was initially scheduled to perform in place of the late A.J. Pero (who passed away in 2015 at age 55) but ultimately became unavailable for the fall run.
