The 1980s

anthony777 · 20-01-2019 9:00pm #1

What is your best memory from or about Rock and Metal in the 1980s, it can be anything...

scudzilla · 20-01-2019 9:32pm

anthony777 wrote: »

What is your best memory from or about Rock and Metal in the 1980s, it can be anything...

I grew up in the metal hotbed of North Wales, my overlasting memory of the 80's was The Friday Rock Show with tommy Vance, dunno if you got that here

I remember lying in bed in Feb '87, i was dying of flu and listening to the show, he played 'Can i play with Madness', the new single from Maiden, after the track he said he had a copy of it, and on the back sleeve was a note...ONLY UK APPEARANCE 1988, DONINGTON MONSTERS OF ROCK, I got better instantly

Met the guy a few times years later and he always had time for a chat and a pint with me, was very bitter with the way Radio 1 had treated him, and rightly so.

Total legend of metal

Harry Palmr · 20-01-2019 9:36pm

Oddly that it became mainstream with mega selling albums that actually got radio and tv exposure on non specialist channels and programmes - okay a lot of it was Bon Jovi type shiote but other better stuff poked through the holes created.

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Roanmore · 20-01-2019 10:40pm

Just a few off the top of my head.

Friday Rock Show, would be out with my friends and go home to listen to it (loved the Cozy Powell theme tune Theme 1).

Discovering Kerrang

Going to see my first concert in Cork City Hall, End of the Road tour - Quo.
Probably been to better concerts after but none as memorable.

Seeing Def Leppard in Connolly Hall in Cork on their rehersal tour pre their appearence in Donnington (supported by Scarlett Page)

The joy of discovering AC/DC, the crushing disappointment of Fly on the Wall and the joy of hearing Who Made Who on the local snooker hall juke box

Purple reuniting and Perfect Strangers

Denim jacket with Sabbath's Born Again full size patch and the pleaseure I took wearing it to mass

Putting on newly acquired Piece of Mind and listening on headphones and thinking holy **** when Where Eagles Dare comes on.

Appetite for Destruction

Donnington 87, Wasp, Anthrax, Metallica, Dio and ahem Bon Jovi

Leeside Music in Cork where I built up my record collection with second hand records, knowing sadly that these were being sold because most of the guys who owned them had to immigrate. My brother had to go but left me in charge of his collection.

I discovered so much music in the 80s I find it hard to think I fitted 2 decades in to 1 (70s). Where did I get the time, no CDs (well not at the start) or mp3.
I loved the fact that my brother and myself were the only people in to heavt metal in our class and were looked down on for it.

I could go on for hours but that's probably enough

dingdong1234567 · 20-01-2019 11:02pm

Kerrang, Metal Hammer where stable reading for me in the 80's. The Friday night rock show on BBC 1 was not missed, so much metal that has stood the test of time to this day. Great interviews with Tommy Vance, 'the rock vendor'.

Good times with the double tape deck set with record and pause ready to record from the show. Still have old mix tapes lying around to this day.

All in all good times.

anthony777 · 20-01-2019 11:33pm

I remember Tommy Vance playing For Whom The Bell Tolls just as he announced Cliff Burton's passing. It was so sad, I had just seen them before in the Ulster Hall with Anthrax. So sad.

scudzilla · 21-01-2019 1:28am

Here's a throwback for ya....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5SMCcKXhmM

peter1892 · 21-01-2019 12:57pm

TV on the radio! I could pick it up on medium wave but the signal would get pretty distorted by that time of night...

There was a station in Dublin in the late 1980's called Capitol (not to be confused with the station which later became FM 104). Tom Hayes (who did DJ sets in McGonagles) presented metal shows on there, one night was Thrash/Speed/Hardcore (mostly), the other was Metal/Rock stuff, and he'd do a top 10 album rundown based on what the Sound Cellar was selling that week.

When the pirates got shut down at the end of 1988 it suddenly became possible to pick up a faint FM signal from BBC Radio 1 so recording stuff off Tommy Vance & Alan Freeman's shows got a lot easier (Freeman did the classic rock 'Saturday/Sunday Rock show on R1).

Kerrang/Metal Hammer were essential reading, RAW came along a little later. And we had 'Monsters of Rock' with Mick Wall on the original Sky channel. Seeing the video for 'Welcome to the Jungle' for the first time was an eye opener. MTV was available around 1990.

As for our national broadcaster, they routinely ignored Metal music despite it's popularity.

Tapes & records were swapped, copied, passed around as much as possible. And buying something was almost an event in itself - when I picked up a copy of 'Live After Death' I spent ages going over all of the liner notes & little details.

It's nostalgic, and rose-tinted at that. I love being able to hear songs with relative ease now via internet services, not relying on bad radio signals or 30 second video clips on TOTP.

Dublin Spur · 24-01-2019 11:50am

The back from the dead Aerosmith story was huge for me, I was about 11 when it started.
Then discovering their back catalogue was mind blowing.

jack presley · 24-01-2019 11:54am

I only got into metal in the summer of ‘88 so for me, only the last 18 months of the decade are applicable. But it was all about disovering new bands and the excitement of hearing something I loved for the first time.

Seth Brundle · 24-01-2019 12:04pm

I used to buy Metal Forces mag over Hetal Hammer but that may have been more 1990 onwards. Kerrang was too soft for me.
I got into Metal in the late 80s and recall my first gig - Slayer & Nuclear Assault in Sept 1988. Second gig was Metallica a month later.
I recall the Tommy Hayes show. There was also a radio show on BLB from Bray around this time.

Best memory? Maybe the experience of lending records to other metalheads in school and taping it overnight.
I also recall having a massive black eye one Christmas from a metal night in McGonagles the previous Friday

Bonzo Delaney · 24-01-2019 12:15pm

Was raw power with Phil Alexander very late 80s or early 90s had only discovered GNR about 88 either Dave Fanning or Gerry Ryan played welcome to the jungle on late night 2 fm changed the way an 11 year old listened to music from then on remember the first time I seen raw power on late night itv I mixed up Phil for Slash. No internet them days to figure it out.
EDIT quick Google tells me it was 91 ish ...ah well .

horgan_p · 25-01-2019 3:36pm

Raw Power was 91 or 92 I think.

Memories from the 80s ? Listening to Bon Jovi, then being blown away by Guns N Roses and both being trumped by Iron Maiden.
In my defence I was only 13 at the end of the 80s.

Dr Bob · 25-01-2019 3:43pm

Sound Cellar, Maiden, Metallica , Anthrax,Guns N Roses, Faith No More , mad comedy stuff like the Xentrix ..Fibbers, Drinking in one of the pubs near the point as a teenager , with a load of random older metalheads getting us in before a gig .Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Headbangers ball, cheap metal t shirts in the FM shop, proper tour t shirts in sound cellar..great times
in fairness some of them are early 90s memories..

Aska · 25-01-2019 5:08pm

W.A.S.P.

adox · 04-02-2019 8:11pm

The SFX. The amount of bands that played there in the 80s was unreal.

Bands I saw there off the top of my head:

Metallica
Accept
Dokken
Queensryche
Dio
Def Leppard
Wasp
Ozzy
Dave Lee Roth
Gary Moore
Anthrax

I’m sure there were many more.

Sound cellar for buying vinyl. Was it Tommy that was the guy that ran it?
I remember going in and looking for something new and browsing the new releases. I had two albums from bands I’d never heard of. The first one was an Overkill album and thwas second one, which he recommended because they were going to be huge, was Kill Em All by Metallica.

mean gene · 06-02-2019 9:40am

No sleep till hammersmith,Pyromania,Seventh Son,Appetite for destruction ,Master of Puppets,Peace Sells ,Back in Black and everything that revolves around these albums tours t shirts blank tape copys ,basketball boots skin tight jeans cans of fosters and crap hairstyle

gimli2112 · 06-02-2019 9:49am

1984 Piece of Mind.
Listening to Tommy Vance on the Radio and he announces Cliff Burton had died
Ride the Lightening and Master of Puppets
Getting puked on in the SFX at an Anthrax gig

good times

06-02-2019 9:56am

I remember sewing a killers back patch on my jacket that I got in the sound cellar. Also buying black jeans and boot runners and getting a biker jacket for xmas. I remember doing my inter cert and studying with my Michelle in the back round. I remember listening to bark at the moon and thinking, this is nice in parts, (So tired). I remember realising Metallica were amazing but anthrax were shyte… Iron maiden for me defined rock in the 80's growing up in the little hamlet from where I hail!! loved watching monsters of rock but I liked the softer rock, not the slayer, sepultura stuff...

Seth Brundle · 06-02-2019 11:03am

adox wrote: »

Sound cellar for buying vinyl. Was it Tommy that was the guy that ran it?
I remember going in and looking for something new and browsing the new releases. I had two albums from bands I’d never heard of. The first one was an Overkill album and thwas second one, which he recommended because they were going to be huge, was Kill Em All by Metallica.

Tommy is still going.
He used to manage Killer Watt also...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewNm-WYI_Xs

The 1980s also gave us this Dublin band...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0qyfYwbFQ0

Sam Hain · 06-02-2019 11:14am

Bonzo Delaney wrote: »

Was raw power with Phil Alexander very late 80s or early 90s had only discovered GNR about 88 either Dave Fanning or Gerry Ryan played welcome to the jungle on late night 2 fm changed the way an 11 year old listened to music from then on remember the first time I seen raw power on late night itv I mixed up Phil for Slash. No internet them days to figure it out.
EDIT quick Google tells me it was 91 ish ...ah well .

Raw power was preceded in the mid eighties by the power hour presented by the appropriately named metal minx Nikki groocok. Used to sit up late and watch it on utv. Also recall some mad lad on it called crusher, I think. Or that might have been raw power.

blastman · 06-02-2019 12:44pm

Sam Hain wrote: »

Raw power was preceded in the mid eighties by the power hour presented by the appropriately named metal minx Nikki groocok. Used to sit up late and watch it on utv. Also recall some mad lad on it called crusher, I think. Or that might have been raw power.

Steve 'Krusher' Joule, he was the design editor on Kerrang for years.

blade1 · 19-03-2019 2:35pm

Too many to mention really but the awe of my first real gig will never leave me!
1989(I think)and Suicidal Tendencies and M.O.D. at the Top Hat in Dun Laoghaire.

A couple of lads here from my local town talking on a pod cast about being into Metal in the 70's and up to present day.
These two are responsible for a lot of people getting into metal and hearing stuff from all over the world.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zLd7KIyRMCB8b1Rv1Jsi0?si=7N8xFrF6SCCcpbtBVXF6lQ

Wanderer78 · 19-03-2019 2:44pm

Discovering metal via puppets

Ash.J.Williams · 19-03-2019 2:48pm

great times....i remember how long "the wait" was for metallica to release a new album after i discovered them in 88....looking back it was only 3 more years to the Black album!

Church on Tuesday · 30-04-2019 11:19am

Sigh. If I had a time machine I'd go back to that era when the Big 4 of Thrash were at their peak.

Alas I was a toddler for the last couple years of that decade.

Jealous of some of you guys here!

LoughNeagh2017 · 02-05-2019 2:26pm

I wasn't born in 1980s and I don't listen to any 80s rock, mainly because they didn't use scream vocals much.

Ash.J.Williams · 02-05-2019 2:27pm

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

I wasn't born in 1980s and I don't listen to any 80s rock, mainly because they didn't use scream vocals much.

What

Granadino · 02-05-2019 5:34pm

rusty cole wrote: »

I remember sewing a killers back patch on my jacket that I got in the sound cellar. Also buying black jeans and boot runners and getting a biker jacket for xmas. I remember doing my inter cert and studying with my Michelle in the back round. I remember listening to bark at the moon and thinking, this is nice in parts, (So tired). I remember realising Metallica were amazing but anthrax were shyte… Iron maiden for me defined rock in the 80's growing up in the little hamlet from where I hail!! loved watching monsters of rock but I liked the softer rock, not the slayer, sepultura stuff...

I can relate to nearly all of that. Iron Maiden are the band that springs to mind. Remember there was a video tape going around that someone had taped off MTV Headbangers ball, with a collection of metal songs? Well, in Limerick anyway.

scudzilla · 03-05-2019 7:06pm

blastman wrote: »

Steve 'Krusher' Joule, he was the design editor on Kerrang for years.

Funnily enough i'me actually friends with Krusher now, met up with him quite a few times. He's been royally screwed over in the past, mainly by Sharon Osbourne

Ash.J.Williams · 03-05-2019 7:32pm

Go on give us an example of how one can be screwed over by shazzer, besides cutting the power during a gig, planting family members and friends in the pit to egg your band, and hiring session musicians on a day rate to cut original musicians out of their royalties?

scudzilla · 03-05-2019 9:01pm

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Go on give us an example of how one can be screwed over by shazzer, besides cutting the power during a gig, planting family members and friends in the pit to egg your band, and hiring session musicians on a day rate to cut original musicians out of their royalties?

Designed most of Ozzy's early album covers and t-shirts, got screwed over for all royalties, never received a penny

Anesthetize · 03-05-2019 10:13pm

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

I wasn't born in 1980s and I don't listen to any 80s rock, mainly because they didn't use scream vocals much.

That's a very lame excuse not to listen to 80's rock and metal.

And it's not like there was a shortage of bands in the 80's using harsh vocals.

Bands like Venom, Hellhammer and Slayer used pseudo-growls to great effect, but Bathory were probably the first band to use proper extreme metal vocals in 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm_yZeQ5U_c

Also in 1984, Die Kreuzen were using screamed vocals in hardcore punk, long before screamo became a thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zqNNj92SQ

And then later on in the 1980's you had bands like Death setting the blueprint for death metal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbVBH-vwOcg

Seth Brundle · 03-05-2019 10:18pm

Anesthetize wrote: »

And then later on in the 1980's you had bands like Death setting the blueprint for death metal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbVBH-vwOcg

In the early and mid 80s you had the start of death metal (with Bathory) - hard to beat...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehsl1bpEInQ

Anesthetize · 03-05-2019 10:19pm

Yeah Possessed are worth a mention. I still see them as a thrash metal band though, but they set the wheels in motion for death metal.

Beasty · 03-05-2019 10:25pm

Saw these guys in 1979, then 1982:

and again in 1986:

In terms of the heavier end of rock, no-one else came close

baamus · 04-05-2019 2:41am

In the 80s I was very far from hard & heavy but remember myself standing in front of TV in my parents bedroom it was Hammer March from The Wall, so must be 1982, that impressed me, well maybe because of animation I don't remember now.

Then remember in 1987, it was Status Quo - In the Army Now, this song was absolutely everywhere.

Zappa's Bobby Brown got my attention too, also through TV.

Then lots of Queen in 80s I believe, Mercury was really outstanding.

Then David Bowie. Newer knew him well honestly but liked his voice.

Def Leppard. Pour Some Sugar on Me

Whitesnake. Here I go Again

Ratt. Round and Round

Europe. The Final Countdown. Never liked it honestly but it was everywhere then.

Oh, AC/DC were absolutely cool even I wasn't into heavy music then, just brilliant.

I didn't know much of Black Sabbath then but Ozzy was always a sweetie, Alice Cooper too.

I was never a fan of Metallica but remember One, Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, remember their concert on TV was pretty good. I've listened to Metallica much later, Master of Puppet was pretty heavy but first I really liked was Orion. I like instrumental music most.

Then I remember Van Halen and remember here and there, lots of hairy glam in 80s but I rarely took them seriously. Oh, KISS were always my favourites, absolutely.

I've discovered some bands from 80s much later as I said I was far from heavy music in 80s.

Beasty · 04-05-2019 9:48am

baamus wrote: »

Alice Cooper too.

Cooper was arguably in his pomp in the 70s. He's one of those that continues playing to this day. This was a picture I took on his "the Nightmare Returns" 1986 tour:

adox · 04-05-2019 12:47pm

Beasty wrote: »

Saw these guys in 1979, then 1982:

and again in 1986:

Wow you saw them with Bon Scott? Would have loved to see him live.

First time I saw them was 1982 in the RDS with the brilliant Y&T playing support.

Saw them again in 1984 headlining Monsters Of Rock in Castle Donnington in 1984. Unbelievable line up that day:

Motley Crue
Accept
Y&T
Gary Moore
Ozzy
Van Halen
AC/DC

Saw AC/DC for the last time in Punchestown in 2009.

Beasty · 04-05-2019 1:14pm

adox wrote: »

Wow you saw them with Bon Scott? Would have loved to see him live.

Unfortunately not. I meant 1980, not 1979 - it was at the Deeside Leisure Centre

Roanmore · 04-05-2019 3:29pm

adox wrote: »

Saw them again in 1984 headlining Monsters Of Rock in Castle Donnington in 1984. Unbelievable line up that day:

Motley Crue
Accept
Y&T
Gary Moore
Ozzy
Van Halen
AC/DC

Had to be one of the best Donnington line ups ever.
I remember Kerrang though slated the top 2 but I think it was more of a "how cool are we, we can slate who we want".

adox · 04-05-2019 3:50pm

Roanmore wrote: »

Had to be one of the best Donnington line ups ever.
I remember Kerrang though slated the top 2 but I think it was more of a "how cool are we, we can slate who we want".

It was great.

Motley Crue’s first big gig in Europe, they were warned about their swearing beforehand and every second word from them was mother****er.

I was a huge Accept fan at the time so it was great to see them and they were brilliant.

Ozzy had Jake E Lee on guitar and they were phenomenal.

Van Halen with the classic line up in their pomp.

AC/DC were great as usual.

Was a tiring trip thought. Booked through the Sound Cellar, it was the ferry across and a coach to Derby. Think we stayed overnight the night before as part of the package.

I was 18 at the time and had never been in such a big crowd in my life.

It was a scorcher of a day too and the volume from the stage was insane throughout. One of the loudest shows I was ever at. I think only Motörhead at Dalymount Park was louder.

Roanmore · 04-05-2019 4:10pm

I was too young for 84 but made it in 87, rained almost the whole day.
Crowds were huge alright.

scudzilla · 04-05-2019 7:40pm

Beasty wrote: »

Unfortunately not. I meant 1980, not 1979 - it was at the Deeside Leisure Centre

Sure we may have crossed paths at some point, seem the same sort of age, both avid United followers (i went all home and away from 88-91 and just home before and after for a few years), been to most of the same gigs, i broke my gig cherry at Deeside in 1981 (i was 10) wit Adam & the Ants :pac:

Beasty · 04-05-2019 8:28pm

scudzilla wrote: »

Sure we may have crossed paths at some point, seem the same sort of age, both avid United followers (i went all home and away from 88-91 and just home before and after for a few years), been to most of the same gigs, i broke my gig cherry at Deeside in 1981 (i was 10) wit Adam & the Ants :pac:

Went to Manchester University in '79

Stretford End '79 to around 82, then LMTB in the old United Road stand for a couple of years before upgrading to Season Ticket in '84/5. Been in pretty much the same place ever since except when the rebuilt the stand in 1996

In terms of gigs attended I saw the likes of Elton John, Judas Priest, Slade, the Who, Status Quo, Wings and the like at the Apollo. (better not mention Gary Glitter, but at least I never took the camera when I went to see him, although I do make a very brief appearance at the front of the stage for one of his Apollo gigs that was released on VHS:o)

Lived in Leeds between graduating in 1982 and early 1986. saw the Stones at Roundhay Park in 82:

Thin Lizzy at Leeds Queens Hall in '83:

(also saw Elton there 2 nights in succession in '84)

Bowie at Milton Keynes in '83:

Freddie's last concert with Queen at Knebworth in '86:

(had seen also them a few weeks previously at Maine Road)

Saw Bowie again in his Glass Spider Tour at Maine Road

I took about 550 photos at Live Aid, and was back at Wembley in 1986 for the Human Rights Now concert, involving Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting

Guess the 1980s were quite an adventure for me music (and football) wise throughout the 1980s

scudzilla · 04-05-2019 8:36pm

Beasty wrote: »

Went to Manchester University in '79

Stretford End '79 to around 82, then LMTB in the old United Road stand for a couple of years before upgrading to Season Ticket in '84/5. Been in pretty much the same place ever since except when the rebuilt the stand in 1996

In terms of gigs attended I saw the likes of Elton John, Judas Priest, Slade, the Who, Status Quo, Wings and the like at the Apollo. (better not mention Gary Glitter, but at least I never took the camera when I went to see him, although I do make a very brief appearance at the front of the stage for one of his Apollo gigs that was released on VHS:o)

Started off in Block C at OT, was only 13 so i had to sit next to the guy who ran the coach, hit 15/16 and upgraded to United Road, as close to away fans as possible, then after a few season moved to Stretford End, just to left of tunnel. The old LMTB's were great, pain in the hole when ya lost it though :pac::pac:

Seen too many gigs at The Apollo, loved the little pub (Aspley house) behind it. Jillies was one of my favourite haunts when in the city.

The late 80's and early 90's were so great for gigs

Ash.J.Williams · 09-05-2019 4:48am

Anesthetize wrote: »

Yeah Possessed are worth a mention. I still see them as a thrash metal band though, but they set the wheels in motion for death metal.

there's a fairly decent looking thrash documentary coming out soon and they feature. Blew my mind finding out the guitarist was Larry laLonde

Seth Brundle · 09-05-2019 7:54am

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

there's a fairly decent looking thrash documentary coming out soon and they feature. Blew my mind finding out the guitarist was Larry laLonde

He has no time for them now though.
He was also in Blind Illusion along with Les. The Sane Asylum still sounds good

sydthebeat · 09-05-2019 7:56am

Operation: mindcrime

adox · 09-05-2019 9:28am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Operation: mindcrime

Still listen to it to this day. Played the whole album last week.

skallywag · 09-05-2019 9:37am

At the time it would have been the thrash scene of the late 80's, but in hindsight if I had to pick one tune from the 80's (I think it just about qualifies!) it would be Randy Rhodes on Crazy Train.

The 1980s

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