TWISTED SISTER Guitarist: 'New Material From Older Bands Doesn't Do What People Expect It To'

Rob Cavuoto of Guitar International recently conducted an interview with TWISTED SISTER guitarist Eddie Ojeda. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Guitar International: TWISTED SISTER has been quite busy putting out some great live DVDs "Double Live" and the upcoming "Marquee Club '83?". Tell me about them and why now is the right time to release everything?

Eddie Ojeda: It's been in the archives for years and much of the stuff we didn't even know we had. Lately there seems to be a demand for it. We're always being asked when TWISTED SISTER will be doing new music and we have certain views about that. All our old music from the '80s is so engraved in people's heads that if we were to come out with the greatest new CD, it would always be compared to our old songs. New material from older bands doesn't do what people expect it to. It works for young new artists whose fans are into it. Our fan base is really into what they know like "Under The Blade" and our anthems. So we'd rather go back and find stuff that we know our fans will enjoy. Some of this stuff is real raw; it was before digital with just one of two cameras. It doesn't have the production value that we would have liked but it does have that "rawness" which is really cool and vintage.

Guitar International: Prior to the New York Steel 9/11 benefit show, the band had not played together for some time. Was it a difficult decision for everyone to put their differences aside and play that night?

Eddie Ojeda: Not really, because the events of 9/11 were so devastating that we were blown away and felt like we had to do something. We just called each other up and said we have to help. Personally, for me, it wasn't. I didn't have any issues with anyone per se. It's just the normal everyday stuff that goes on within a band the male ego. Outside of that stuff, I never had any gripes. Some of the other guys had issues which might have made it a little more difficult for them. With TWISTED SISTER, I don't think what happened was so bad for us to hate each other. It's a five-way marriage. At least in a marriage you can have make-up sex and then everything goes back to normal, but with guys you can't do that well, at least not in the same band. Not that there is anything wrong with that. [Laughing]

Guitar International: Do you have any solo projects that you are working on?

Eddie Ojeda: Yes, I'm working on my second solo CD. I'm calling it "Pick A Window You're Leaving". It's hard rock CD and the songs have a lot of harmonies with funny offbeat lyrics. It's taking longer than I would like. TWISTED SISTER just finished the summer tour so I'm just back to working on it now. I'll be doing all the vocals. Like with the first CD, I had Ronnie James Dio and Dee Snider singing "Eleanor Rigby", I plan to maybe have a guest singers and players. I can't say just yet as people's schedules are always changing. They all bring different elements to the song which makes them better.

Read the entire interview from Guitar International.