News from the big top: Tireless ringleader Snider returning with ‘Circus’

By John Katsilometes

Monday, March 30, 2009 | 6:06 p.m.

We need more Dee Snider.

What’s that? We’re getting more Dee Snider?

Righteous.

The new-new Mr. Las Vegas, the frontman for Twisted Sister and one of the more energetic grown adults you’ll ever encounter, is returning as ringleader of “Monster Circus” at the Las Vegas Hilton when the production resumes April 16-18 and again April 23-25. This is great news. Let’s just give Dee the keys and let him drive for a while. What could possibly go wrong?

I caught “Monster Circus” on Thursday in the middle of a week peppered with only-in-Vegas events: quality time with The Wayner and Mayor Goodman (in person and in wax). A visit to the office of The Colosseum at Caesars box office manager Bruce Bielenberg, who spoke of Styx and Celine with equal enthusiasm. A visit to downtown Las Vegas that culminated unexpectedly with a stop at the spruced-up El Cortez. The closing of “Les Folies Bergere,” which gave it one last honest effort at the Tropicana.

But it was Snider, during a performance with the “Circus” at the Las Vegas Hilton, who really rocked my world (that’s a heavy metal-type term, if memory serves). Evidently afflicted with untreated adult ADD, Snider brought the whole load, scurrying across the stage while shrieking “Metal Health” and his middle-finger-to-the-world composition, “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Snider had the lively banter finely honed. ”This was my middle finger to the world!" he bellowed in mock angst. "And all of a sudden, it's on a cartoon show! They're singing it on a (bleeping) cartoon!"

Steel Panther, so proud of its onstage repartee, could take notes from Dee Snider.

For additional audience participation, Snider and “Monster Circus” vocalist John Corabi (of Motley Crue when Vince Neil split from the band in 1992) ventured willingly into the audience to hobnob with the commoners. Snider performed just four songs, which allowed him to throw every ounce of adrenaline behind each one (Corabi was onstage for almost the entire 90-minute show and did an admirable job of pacing himself, because trying to match Snider’s intensity for that long might have killed him). Snider, his curly blond mane damp with sweat, provided a spirited tribute to late guitar God Randy Rhoads by refusing to sing anything down-tempo, instead breaking loose with “Crazy Train.” He told the audience he would sing the true heavy-metal anthem, which in “Monster Circus” is AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

Maybe you think that the crowd didn’t roar along to the chorus. You would be wrong.

I’m not sure the “Monster Circus” band played great, but they played great songs. They probably choked on a few chords, but they were satisfyingly high (in volume) and thrusted their fists airborne at the proper moments. They still sported the leather, and they scowled in a menacing sort of way. By my own foggy recollection, I have heard every one of those songs played live by the original artists – except for a rocked-up take on “That’s Life.” But in an involuntary response to “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,’ ”I did look around for Rob Halford’s Harley.

That reminds me: The Priest is the beast.

Good times, yes, right from my iPod. What does it say about a person who, in his early teens, stole bassist Rudy Sarzo’s lick-the-thumb move? Sarzo is still doing that, licking his thumb before hammering the bass. I have no idea why Rudy licks his thumb, other than because it’s a move he thought of years ago that no one else owned. As an impressionable 14-year-old, I so dug that move that I’d lick my thumb at every opportunity -- before grabbing a writing implement, when shooting free throws during basketball games, when reaching for the bread basket at the dinner table. It got ridiculous. I finally had to stop because of, you know, the germs.

Another move by Sarzo is, he frequently pounds his fist into the body of his guitar. I guess he does this to produce an especially powerful sound from the instrument. Boom! I noticed, when Sarzo performs this move, he always has a chord formed with his left hand. It reminded me of how Christopher Guest/Nigel Tufnel tuned his violin before dragging its strings across his guitar in “This Is Spinal Tap.”

I’m told that all tickets for the next “Monster Circus” dates will be $39, $79 for the VIP on the raised seating areas on the left and right side of the stage, close to the action. That’s a good place to catch Snider the next time the circus comes to town.