'80s Metal History (August 5th)

August 5, 1986: Judas Priest's "Fuel For Life" tour stopped in Pittsburgh with Dokken in tow. At the back of the stage a large robot prop with mechanical arms would lift Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.

August 5, 1984: Queensrÿche launched "The Warning" tour with two dates in Japan, the first at Nihon Seinankan Hall in Tokyo. The band played Osaka two days later.

August 5, 1986: Launched six days earlier in New Orleans, AC/DC brought the "Who Made Who" tour to Dallas/Fort Worth with special guest Queensrÿche.

August 5, 1979: Def Leppard signed their first recording contract with Phonogram Records at Rick Allen's parents' home. Rick was too young to sign the contract so his father Geoff signed for him. Shortly after, they began touring with Sammy Hagar.

Happy Birthday to Twisted Sister guitarist Eddie Ojeda (August 5, 1955).

Happy Birthday to former Metal Church guitarist [1981-96] Craig Wells (August 5, 1963).

August 1985: Lone Rager released the album "Metal Rap". For decades, the vocalist's identity was unknown, but at some point, it was confirmed to be Megaforce Records founder Jon Z, backed by members of The Rods and Blue Cheer.

August 5, 1981: Van Halen closed out the second leg of the "Fair Warning" tour in Canada with a show at the Forum de Montréal in Montreal, Québec. The third leg began two weeks later in South Florida.

August 5, 1990: Mötley Crüe’s "Dr. Feelgood" World Tour came to an end at the Compton Terrace Amphitheatre in Chandler, Arizona.

August 5, 1989: "Less Gore, More Whore", the new single "Poison" from his just released album "Trash" was well-received worldwide and got Alice Cooper the cover of the UK's Kerrang! Magazine.

Remembering Tawny Kitaen, star of the Whitesnake videos and model on the early RATT album covers, who would have celebrated a birthday today (August 5, 1961). Tawny died in 2021 at age 59. R.I.P.

August 5, 1994: The movie "Airheads" opened in North America about a struggling rock band who stage a hijacking of a radio station in order to get airplay for their demo. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment, but the soundtrack featured a new version of "Born To Raise Hell" recorded by Motörhead with Ice-T and Whitfield Crane. Anthrax also did a cover of The Smiths "London".

Chazz : Who'd win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?

Chris Moore : Lemmy.

[Rex imitates a game show buzzer]

Chris Moore : ... God?

Rex : Wrong, dickhead, trick question. Lemmy *IS* God.