'80s Metal History (November 15th)

November 15, 1981: Singer Bruce Dickinson performed his first UK show with Iron Maiden at the Rainbow in London, the last date on the "Killer" World Tour. The gig was followed by an aftershow party in the upstairs foyer which went on until the very early hours. "Swapping his white Kung Fu gear for what looked like Paul Di'anno's old leathers, Bruce Dickinson aka Bruce Bruce, made a near perfect fit into Iron Maiden's line up." (Record Mirror - November 21, 1981).

November 15, 1981: As their new LP was hitting North American record stores, Black Sabbath launched the "Mob Rules" Tour in Canada in Québec City. It ended in Chicago the following summer and recordings from the tour were used on 1982's "Live Evil" album. Billboard Magazine ad - November 21, 1981

November 15, 1982: Judas Priest played the first of two nights in Seattle on the "World Vengeance" Tour. Propelled by smash hit single "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", the album "Screaming For Vengeance" had just gone gold in sales in the US.

Just released in the US, Ozzy Osbourne's third studio album "Bark At The Moon" was not yet available elsewhere, but the title track was available as a single in UK record shops in early November 1983. The first issue was a glossy card cover with a 50p voucher on the back towards the purchase of the LP, but it quickly disappeared and was replaced by a non-voucher paper cover. Release information source - Kerrang! ad - November 3, 1983.

November 15, 1984: KISS began the North American leg of the "Animalize" Tour in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with Mark St. John on guitar, who played only 2+ shows before being replaced (arthritic condition) by Bruce Kulick.

November 15, 1988: Metallica launched the first North American leg of the "Damaged Justice" Tour in Toledo, Ohio with Queensrÿche opening. The tour was the first time Metallica placed live recordings on future single B-Sides and EPs.

November 15, 1983: Iron Maiden's "World Piece" Tour continued with a string of dates in France and Spain that began in Rouen, France with a new opening act, Michael Schenker Group.

November 15, 1990: With a stop in Berlin, Iron Maiden's "No Prayer On The Road" Tour featured opener Anthrax, who spent the day shooting video footage at the Berlin Wall for their next single "Belly Of The Beast". -Kerrang!

November 15, 1982: Whitesnake released their fifth studio album "Saints & Sinners" in the UK featuring the original "Crying In The Rain" and "Here I Go Again", both tracks later re-recorded for the band's self-titled 1987 album. Release date source: Record label promo letter.

Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost released their debut EP "Morbid Tales" in Europe in late 1984, a major influence on the then-developing death and black metal genres, including their corpse paint face makeup. The EP reached the UK as an import in March 1985 -Kerrang!

November 15, 1977: With AC/DC opening, KISS kicked off the "Alive II" Tour in Oklahoma City. A month later, they played three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in their hometown of New York City.

November 15, 1987: Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses performed at the Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2023, someone on eBay listed their ticket from that show for sale for US $24.49. The price of the ticket in 1987 was $16.50 🙃

November 15, 1992: Ozzy Osbourne played his final concert of the "No More Tours" Tour and began his retirement from performing live. No surprise, three years later Ozzy would begin his "Retirement Sucks" Tour. 😁🤘