'80s Metal History (November 24th)

November 24, 1984: Iron Maiden launched the first North American leg of the "World Slavery" Tour in Halifax, Nova Scotia and they brought the killer props (sarcophagi, 30-foot mummified Eddie) along with opener Twisted Sister.

November 1987: With Sacred Reich singer/bassist Phil Rind laid up with an asthma attack, Metallica's Jason Newsted and Slayer's Kerry King jammed with the band at a show in Arizona that included Metallica and Slayer songs. -Kerrang!

Remembering KISS drummer Eric Carr "The Fox", who died November 24, 1991 at age 41. R.I.P.

November 24/25, 1987: Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses played two shows in Lakeland, Florida. To celebrate GnR's final support show, the Crüe surprised them with 25 pyro blasts that kicked in as they played "Welcome To The Jungle".

Late November 1986: MTV started showing the video for "After Midnight" from Fastway, one month after the movie "Trick Or Treat" opened in theatres. Maybe the suits were still trying to figure out the Halloween and metal connection 🎃

November 1983: Riot released their fifth album "Born in America" in the US. A note on the LP tried to explain away would-be fans' confusion between Riot and the now No. 1-selling Quiet Riot, but support was limited leading to the band's disintegration. Release information source: [US] Kerrang! - December 1, 1983.

Happy Birthday to former Agent Steel guitarist Juan Garcia (November 24, 1963).

November 24, 1998: Metallica released "Garage Inc" in North America featuring all of the tracks on 1987's "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited" that had been out of print, plus more covers and B-sides, including the "Mercyful Fate" medley. Release date source: [US] CMJ New Music Report - November 23, 1998.

November 24, 1984: KISS brought the "Animalize" Tour to New Haven, Connecticut where Paul Stanley said "Hey everybody, look who's in the audience! It's Peter Criss!" Turned out it was just a fan dressed as the Catman 😁

November 24, 1980: AC/DC brought the "Back In Black" World Tour to Ostseehalle in Kiel, Germany with guests Whitesnake. Three more dates followed in Deutschland including Cologne the following night and Berlin on the 27th. Fan Memory from AC/DC website: "A brilliant concert. I had seen the Highway To Hell tour prior to this with Judas Priest as support act (Loud to the point of distortion) and Brian Johnson was finding his feet as the band's new vocalist on this tour - you could see that the Young brothers were "running the show" but one of the best gigs I saw in 3 years in Berlin - Whitesnake supported admirably."

November 24, 1984: W.A.S.P. played the first of five Canadian dates in Winnipeg on the "Winged Assassins" Tour promoting their debut album. One month earlier the band performed in Japan and left a mark with Blackie Lawless getting the cover of the November 1984 issue of Burrn! Magazine.