Hair Band History (August 17th)

August 17, 1985: With a line-up a little more mixed than the usual heavy metal fare, "Monsters Of Rock" became "Rocking The Castle" and Bon Jovi performed at Donington for the first time. ZZ Top headlined and RATT were also on the bill.

August 17, 1985: Driven by hit singles "Smokin' In The Boys Room" and "Home Sweet Home", Mötley Crüe's third studio album "Theatre Of Pain" peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Today, the LP is their third best seller.

August 17, 1985: Livin' the teenage dream with a Night Ranger concert at the county fair in Indiana. The band played 118 dates on the "Seven Wishes" Tour and American rock radio played the single "Four In The Morning" all summer that year.

August 1985: Kix released funky rocker "Cold Shower" as the first single from the album "Midnite Dynamite", years before “Love In An Elevator”, “Cherry Pie” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, showing the band was often ahead of the curve. Release information source: R&R radio trade publication ad - August 16, 1985.

August 1990: With over 300,000 copies of their debut album sold and lead single "Bang Bang" a Top 40 hit in the USA, Danger Danger released new single "Naughty Naughty". Release information source: R&R radio trade publication ad - August 17, 1990.

August 17, 1984: W.A.S.P. released their self-titled debut album worldwide featuring single "I Wanna Be Somebody". Release date source: Kerrang! - July 26, 1984; Billboard ad -August 25, 1984.

Happy Birthday to former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist [1991-93] Gilby Clarke (August 17, 1962).

Happy Birthday to former Bad English and Hardline drummer Deen Castronovo (August 17, 1964).

August 17, 1988: "Appetite For Destruction" was at No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart when Guns N' Roses opened for Aerosmith on the "Permanent Vacation" Tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

August 17, 1985: Touring the Midwestern US, Mötley Crüe brought the "Theatre Of Pain" Tour to the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota with special guest Loudness. Two days later during an interview in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nikki Sixx said the band was trying to gain Guinness Book of Records’ recognition as the loudest band in the world. The average reading during the band’s ninety-minute set was 108 to 110 decibels, with an average reported level of 116 decibels for people standing close to the stage in front of the speaker columns. People normally begin to feel physical pain at about 125 decibels... "Louder Than Hell".

August 17, 1984: RATT were on the rise and I caught them at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon with opener Fastway. Still climbing the US Billboard Hot 100, smash single "Round And Round" was at No. 14 this week.