Dee Snider Tries to Explain Himself on Twitter, Puts Foot in Mouth

[Zzzptm]

https://www.loudersound.com/news/dee-snider-defends-his-comments-about-robert-plant-and-ronnie-james-dio-not-being-real-performers-you-cant-put-me-and-robert-plant-in-the-same-category

 

I think I understand what he's saying, but he's not saying it very well, and add in the Twitter part, and well... 

[Charger]

Dee Snider has a habit of talking out of his ass and comes out as a real moron quite often. This is no exception.

Saying Ronnie James Dio was not a great frontman is like saying water isn't wet or that Dee Snider is the greatest frontman of all time.

The guy is a douche...

[Zzzptm]

"See, it's not the *water* that's wet, it's the person or thing that's got water *on* it that's wet..." - Dee Snider explaining why water isn't wet.

When I saw footage of Rod Evans performing live with DP Mk1, *that* was the case of a singer not being a frontman. No energy at all from him other than what he did singing. Like zero, glad to retreat from the mike stand when the band got to jamming. Glam punk and glam rock - which movements Snider is a part of - gave us frontmen so over-the-top, they were getting the crowd going even when they weren't on the stage. Guys like Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Dave Vanian kept the act going on stage and off.

But does it have to be like that fully to be a frontman? I don't think so. Dio and Plant didn't have to roam all over the stage to get the crowd going. They didn't have to have costumes and makeup and stuff like that to work the crowd.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


If a singer's got moves or style that makes a kid want to copy them in the mirror at home, that's a frontman ya got there.

[Ted Sallis]

If a singer's got moves or style that makes a kid want to copy them in the mirror at home, that's a frontman ya got there.

Seems like a pretty good barometer for determining a true frontman to me.

So that's a pass for both Dio and Plant.

Ted

[Jack the Stripper]

I can see where he’s coming from in terms of great frontman and great singers. Some are both, some are one or the other. He probably just used not so great examples. Dee himself as always been a great frontman and a good singer.

I’ve always considered both Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson great singers/frontman.

[Zzzptm]

Indeed, those two know how to work a crowd in a very active way.

[Zzzptm]

Question: what bands are there where the singer isn't the frontman?

[Charger]

Modern Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen (although I guess he "sings" now because no singer wanted to work with him anymore! ), Some other guitarists who don't sing themselves I guess...although I don't know much about them...

I guess Blackmore's Night might fall into that category as well as it pretty much revolved around Ritchie and his mood...

[Zzzptm]

Ted Nugent when someone else is singing certainly does the frontman thing.

Was Sammy Hagar a frontman for Van Halen when he was in it, or was Eddie Van Halen the frontman then?

[Vyn]

There's a lot of bands that don't have a frontman-singer, per se. I agree that Hagar's time in VH, Eddie was the frontman. A band like Dr. Hook, Ray Sawyer was always the frontman even if all he was doing was sitting on the side of the stage. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Frank Zappa's various incarnations, depending on the song and/or theatrics involved. Agree with Charger RE: Yngwie. Frontman != vocalist. I got what Dee was saying, but it's a division of terminology most people simply don't give a shit about.