Why Twisted Sister Guitarist Eddie ‘Fingers’ Ojeda Didn’t Appear at Band’s Reunion
Twisted Sister fans who caught the band's Jan. 26 reunion for the Metal Hall of Fame might've noticed that one classic Twisted Sister member wasn't present for the performance amid the band's induction.
Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, one of the Dee Snider-led glam metal group's guitarists alongside fellow shredder Jay Jay French, was noticeably absent.
As French revealed last month (Feb. 26) to Ace's Space Radio, that's because Ojeda got COVID-19 ahead of the reunion. So the band enlisted Twisted Sister guitar tech Keith Robert War to fill in for the Metal Hall of Fame gala at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California.
How Twisted Sister Recruited War
French said War "plays with Dee as a solo artist. The fact that he lived only a quick 45-minute flight away in [Las] Vegas and that he was available and that he didn't have COVID — there were a lot of things that had to line up correctly, but they did line up." (via Blabbermouth)
He continued, "Keith came in, made the rehearsal and then dropped in like nothing changed. People who didn't know the band super well, or just kind of think the band is Dee or me or [Twisted Sister bassist] Mark [“The Animal” Mendoza] — because when it comes to the visuals of the band, that would be it. … That's not fair to Eddie, because he's been there longer than Mark."
READ MORE: Twisted Sister Reveal Who Will Play Drums at One-Off 2023 Reunion
French added, "I'm used to having Eddie on stage with me. It doesn't matter that Keith knows his parts. It's kind of like being on a football field or a baseball team with guys who you're comfortable with, and even though you can bring in bench players, and they can be great players. But there's a comfortability level you have."
Twisted Sister, For One Night Only
The reunion occurred because Twisted Sister were being inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame. So the band decided to re-form for the night to play three songs. But Twisted Sister fans shouldn't expect a reunion tour.
"There's no reunion," French told The Metal Voice. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one."
Twisted History
Twisted Sister called it quits back in 2016. Snider is also an author and one of several rock stars who go by their middle name. The singer frequently speaks to the concept of "cancel culture" and other hot topics.
Coincidentally, Twisted Sister's 1984 hit single "We're Not Gonna Take It" has become a political anthem for candidates on both sides of the aisle.