'80s Metal History (February 8th)

Happy Birthday to Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil (February 8, 1961).

February 8, 1987: What a lineup for Aardschok Festival in Zwolle, Netherlands... Metallica, Anthrax, Metal Church, Crimson Glory, Celtic Frost, and Lääz Rockit.

February 1985: A year before its release, Kerrang! reported Ozzy Osbourne would soon begin working on new album "The Ultimate Sin" with Iron Maiden producer Martin Birch and that guitarist Jake E. Lee was expected to form his own band 😯

February 8, 1984: Guitarists Phil Campbell and Mick "Wurzel" Burston auditioned together for Motörhead and frontman Lemmy Kilmister decided both would get the gig, making the band a four-piece. Phil played with Motörhead until Lemmy's death in 2015. Mick died in 2011.

February 8, 1985: Metallica performed the song "Fade To Black" live for the first time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was also the last song the band played with Jason Newsted before his departure in 2000.

February 1988: Before Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken and Metallica hit the road for "The Monsters Of Rock" Tour in the US in May, there was talk of another MOR that would feature Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Poison, Aerosmith, Stryper and Anthrax. -Kerrang! 😯

February 8, 1974: KISS released their debut album in North America on Casablanca who were distributed by Warner Bros. After an L.A. party where the band performed their usual loud and bombastic show, Warner threatened to end the deal if KISS didn't remove their makeup. Release date source: Record World Magazine - February 9, 1974

February 8, 1994: Black Sabbath released their 17th studio album "Cross Purposes" in North America (one week earlier in the UK), their third with singer Tony Martin, who returned to the band after the second departure of Ronnie James Dio. A music video in black-and-white was shot for the song "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". Release information source: [US] Billboard Magazine ad - February 12, 1994; [UK] Debuted Official Album chart February 12, 1994.

February 8, 1988: AC/DC played the last of four shows in Melbourne, Australia. A fan review noted "this was the first concert for the newly built National Tennis Centre, the amps were turned down to minimize noise pollution, very disappointing."

February 8, 1991: Ozzy Osbourne, L.A. Guns and Lynch Mob played Long Beach Arena in Southern California. Image: George Lynch -Kerrang!

February 1991: Armored Saint released "A Trip Thru Red Times" on home video, a tribute to guitarist Dave Prichard who passed away the previous year. It chronicles the band's career from 1982-1990.

Not able to secure a record deal, German metal band Adrian released their only album "One Step Into The Uncertain" on their own in 1987. The original pressing is a rare find.

February 8, 1993: Metallica released "Sad But True" in the UK as the fifth and final single from the black album. Release information source: Debuted Official Singles chart February 20, 1993.

Happy Birthday to bassist Stuart Hamm [Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, MSG...] (February 8, 1960).

February 1985: Kerrang! reported that Twisted Sister's Dee Snider had the chance of a lifetime when he met Alice Cooper. Alice had read an interview with Dee where he confessed that Cooper had been his inspiration and brightened up an otherwise dreary adolescence. The meeting led to AC guesting on Twisted Sister's "Be Chrool To Your Scuel" later that year, plus some classic photos with rock photographer Mark Weiss.

February 2011: Not too many rockers playing the Super Bowl halftime show anymore, so we will just have to reminisce Slash playing the solo from "Sweet Child O’ Mine". Not the rest of the performance, just that part 😏