Dee Snider reflected on the time when Twisted Sister called out Manowar and Hanoi Rocks for a street fight in a recent interview on the ‘Speak N’ Destroy’ podcast.
Host Ryan J. Downey asked about the rumor that Manowar didn’t show up to the showdown in the ‘80s, and the singer said:
“That’s part true. It was actually Manowar, Hanoi Rocks, and Twisted Sister. We called out both bands for a rumble. We were there. Neither of them showed up.”
How The Challenge Came Up
Snider said the incident took place because Manowar and Hanoi Rocks badmouthed Twisted Sister during a ‘dark time.’ They had just lost a deal, were in the process of signing with Atlantic Records, and were financially struggling. He recalled:
“I wrote a letter to the magazine calling them out for a fight. And both bands. So, Manowar said, ‘Yes! We will have a battle of the bands to see who the greater band is!’ In a subsequent interview – now it’s become a thing – I said, ‘No, no, no, no, no! This is not a battle of the bands. My fist, your face…’”
Despite the callout, neither band offered an apology to Twisted Sister. So, the band challenged them to a fight at Covent Garden in London.
The Two Bands Apologized
The press and other rock bands turned up at the location on the day of the supposed ‘rumble.’ Manowar and Hanoi Rocks did not. Still, Snider didn’t let the topic slide.
The singer told the press he would ‘beat them silly’ at the two bands’ own concerts and in front of their own fans. He shared:
“After that, we got a published letter from Hanoi Rocks, ‘We are the flower children of rock n’ roll. We want no problems.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, fair enough.’”
He added:
“And then Manowar – because they were Manowar to tell a secret. Ross the Boss [Friedman], who was in a band with Mark the Animal Mendoza called the Dictators, sent Mark a letter saying, ‘Dude, we can’t apologize! We’re Manowar! Could you please stop this? Can we just stop this?’ And Mendoza said, ‘Alright, you shut your mouths, we’ll let it go. ‘Cause we’re friends. But if any sh*t happens again, I’m gonna give this letter to Kerrang! magazine to publish.’”
Snider Is Not Proud Of The Incident
This letter helped mend the relationship between Manowar and Twisted Sister. But Dee Snider said in later years that he was ‘a freaking idiot’ for the way he acted.
Even though the direct conflict ended, the Twisted Sister vocalist remained unwilling to associate with Manowar. He told Metal Hammer in 2021:
“We told them to meet us in Covent Garden and we were gonna have fisticuffs. They didn’t show up because they knew I wasn’t kidding. I was in my 20s, I was crazy. Would I do a Manowar cover? Probably not, even though we’ve patched things up and we’re not enemies, but let’s not get crazy.”
Check out his recent interview in the video below.