Dee Snider Challenges Kiss Co-Founder Paul Stanley to a Rock-Off
Dee Snider, the snarling, curly blonde-haired frontman of Twisted Sister, challenged Kiss guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley to a rock ‘n’ roll showdown after Stanley called him a “wannabe” Wednesday on a podcast interview by wrestler and media personality Chris Jericho.
“Any time, any stage!” wrote Snider on his website. “But let’s do this old school – no costumes, no pyro, no bulls**t…Let’s just get up there and rock. I will bury you, son.”
The feud between the two makeup-wearing rockers began earlier this month when Snider told VH1 That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk that current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer, who has played with the band since 2002, is not worthy of Ace Frehley’s spaceman face paint. “I don’t see how people could accept this,” Snider said on Trunk’s podcast. “Tommy Thayer? I’m sorry. It’s insulting. Not only did he play in a tribute band of Kiss, he’s imitating Ace in his entire act.”
Appearing in an interview to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Kiss Alive!, which came out September 10, 1975, Stanley was asked how he feels about Snider taking objection to Thayer filling Frehley’s shoes. “Let me put it in the simplest terms,” Stanley began. “In this case, this guy is a wannabe, has always been a wannabe and desperately wants attention and to be taken seriously and that will never happen because he’s obviously clueless that he and his whole band are a bunch of buffoons.”
In his personal response to Stanley, Snider accused the Kiss Co-Founder of evading the question and making an unnecessary attack on Twisted Sister. “Your comments about my band and I on Chris Jericho’s podcast was a typical diversionary tactic used in an attempt to change the subject, rather than answer the actual accusation or question,” wrote Snider. “It’s the oldest interviewing trick in the book.”
Never one to hold his tongue or restrain his typing fingers, Snider commented on each part of Stanley’s quote and, in the process, revealed his biting sense of humor. “As far as my ‘whole band being a bunch of buffoons’ goes, that’s a pretty ironic statement coming from you,” Snider wrote. “The argument could easily be made that Kiss is the ‘king of the buffoons,’ so in an odd way you’ve paid Twisted Sister quite a compliment. It takes one to know one.”
Snider began his missive by mentioning that he has been a fan of Kiss and its music and doesn’t know why the relationship isn’t symbiotic. “I’ve always had nothing but respect for your band, and you as a performer,” Snider wrote. “But it really comes as no surprise that the feeling isn’t mutual. For some reason you are oddly threatened by me.”
Look for Stanley’s next vitriolic volley coming soon to a social media platform near you.