'80s Metal History (December 30th)

December 30, 1983: Billed as "The Ultimate Metal Spectacular", Twisted Sister played the Fountain Casino in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey with special guest Metallica. New Year's Eve would've been a letdown after this show.

December 30, 1981: Ozzy Osbourne launched the first leg of the North American "Diary Of A Madman" Tour in Daly City, California. Backstage before the show, Randy Rhoads was presented Guitar Magazine's "Best New Talent Of 1981" Award.

December 30, 1983: DIO, Y&T and Dokken played Long Beach Arena in Southern California. DIO opened with "Stand Up And Shout", Y&T with "Mean Streak" and Dokken with "Paris Is Burning".

Happy Birthday to former Raven drummer Joe Hasselvander (December 30, 1956). Joe replaced Rob "Wacko" Hunter in 1987 and played with Raven for the next 30 years.

Happy Birthday to Heathen singer David White (December 30, 1962), who joined the group in 1985 after stints in underground thrash bands Blind Illusion and Laughing Dead.

Twisted Sister released power ballad "The Price" in North America in late 1984 (March '85 in the UK) as the third single from the album "Stay Hungry". "I had been away from home for four months from my wife and my son. I wrote it inspired by those feelings..." -Dee Snider

December 30, 1982: KISS played the second show of the "Creatures Of The Night/10th Anniversary" Tour in Sioux City, Iowa. The band's lucrative record contract with PolyGram required them to be composed of founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, plus Ace Frehley, who had quit the band. However, the press release stated he was too injured from a recent car crash to tour, but might make appearances when able. Early concert ads featured Frehley's image, so many fans did not realize he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent until they came to the shows.

After touring the UK with Judas Priest most of December 1983, plus a rock festival in Germany, Quiet Riot were a month removed from "Metal Health" hitting No. 1 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart and now headlining shows in their home country. On December 30th they played Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

After 145 shows, Tesla concluded the "Psychotic Supper" Tour in October 1992, but spending the holidays in their hometown of Sacramento, California, they added one more for New Year's Eve at Arco Arena.

December 30, 1982: Kerrang! reported on Scorpions guitarist Rudolph Schenker being arrested over the summer on the "Blackout" Tour in Corpus Christi, Texas... "'It was unbelievable!' recalls the German axe hero. 'The only thing I'd been doing was throwing a few things around in the bar when the manager came up to me and said 'You must leave!' When I asked him why he told me to come to his office and the next thing I knew I'd been handcuffed.'"

December 30, 1982: With a wild new album released in Continental Europe, but only available as an import in the UK until March 1983, Accept were also featured in the latest issue of Kerrang! "... When an outfit arises that plays no-compromise Riff Rock with dynamism and basic, balls-to-the-wall excitement, then there is precious little to touch it and submission to excellence is all. Accept is that band."