Riki Rachtman *was* Headbangers Ball

[Chip Z'Hoy]

Name a memorable pre- or post-Riki moment.

Other than GN'R trashing the studio, which most of us saw on clip shows, there aren't any!

Getting hassled by Danzig or Dave Mustaine, getting in hot water with Stone Pimple Toilets, interviewing a Speedo'd Jerry Cantrell... great HBB moments.

[Ryan81]

Trivia: I'm just going off of memory so it might (very well could be) wrong, but what was the first video Riki played upon hosting his first Headbanger's Ball?

Answer: nimoC gnihT rehtonA toG ev'uoY - tseirP saduJ

While no real memorable moments I remember a couple of bands coming in and hosting and doing a great job. Steve and one of the other guys from Kix (I cannot remember if it was "Damage" Forsythe or "10/10" Younkins) came in and hosted a great episode. It seemed like every video they played was good. I used to have my VCR ready before every video and if I recognized it was going to be a good one I'd hit record as fast as I could. I got a lot of good ones that night. It was also the first time I'd seen the Live Wire video.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

[Chip Z'Hoy]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

I don't know that I ever saw Kevin Seal hosting but I definitely remember that Bovine Joni poser Adam Curry.

[Anthrax442]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

I always liked Kevin Seal, but not for Headbanger's Ball.

[dmbrocker]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

Agreed. Adam and Kevin were great hosts even if they didn’t have any truly outrageous moments. Riki was great as well, but honestly maybe it’s just my opinion, but there was never a *bad* HBB episode or host during the show’s initial ‘87-‘95 run. Just me, I guess. And, yeah, Adam had his “poser” moments, but so did Riki. They all kinda did to a certain degree.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

I don't know that I ever saw Kevin Seal hosting but I definitely remember that Bovine Joni poser Adam Curry.

Kevin Seal wasn't there long IIRC, he was the bridge between Curry and Racthman.

[Zinny]

He didn’t host the Headbanger’s Ball in Europe, Vanessa Warwick did, and the show was as big over here. It was all about the bands/music at the time. Might be good for you to know ”over there”. If it hadn’t been Riki, someone else would have been the host and presented the videos in MTV’s prime.

[aznsquirt]

Side note: Does anyone else remember being super disappointed when he left Loveline? I remember thinking the show was doomed.

[dmbrocker]

Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Adam Curry, or the charisma of Kevin Seal?

I don't know that I ever saw Kevin Seal hosting but I definitely remember that Bovine Joni poser Adam Curry.

Kevin Seal wasn't there long IIRC, he was the bridge between Curry and Racthman.

Nah, Kevin was around for several episodes in late ‘87-early ‘88. Riki replaced Adam pretty much immediately at the beginning of 1990.

[ParaDime77]

Riki was the perfect host for the era. Not to much to overthink here.

[Rocker4Real]

If you didn't live near a music hub Rock radio was kinda shit. The only place to hear anything semi-obscure, or heavy, was on HB.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

I never saw an episode that didn't make me embarrassed to like the music. Same with The Metal Show. Awful amateur shitshows...

[Guitarmageddon_VI]

I never saw an episode that didn't make me embarrassed to like the music. Same with The Metal Show. Awful amateur shitshows...

We didn't have much of an alternative back then. Rock mags, and HBB was all I had.

[MickeyG]

He didn’t host the Headbanger’s Ball in Europe, Vanessa Warwick did, and the show was as big over here. It was all about the bands/music at the time. Might be good for you to know ”over there”. If it hadn’t been Riki, someone else would have been the host and presented the videos in MTV’s prime.

Kristiane Backer was the 1st Headbangers ball Europe presenter I remember. Preferred her to Warwick.

[Bono Nettencourt]

I don't know that I ever saw Kevin Seal hosting but I definitely remember that Bovine Joni poser Adam Curry.

Kevin Seal wasn't there long IIRC, he was the bridge between Curry and Racthman.

Nah, Kevin was around for several episodes in late ‘87-early ‘88. Riki replaced Adam pretty much immediately at the beginning of 1990.

Wow I can't believe that Rachtman didn't start til 1990... shit was already almost over.

[Rocker4Real]

I think it was replaced by a show called SuperRock in '94.

[SexxAtraxxion]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaE1ICcbPiY

Riki Rachtman cuts his long hair (1992)

[Bono Nettencourt]

I think it was replaced by a show called SuperRock in '94.

95. Did anyone even watch it?

[DangerZone]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaE1ICcbPiY

Riki Rachtman cuts his long hair (1992)

Rikki just posted an old photo of himself with long hair recalling how lots of people called him a sellout for cutting it.
He claims he just does what he feels…
Very strange mindset to still have at near 60.

Wasn’t he just following the trend, albeit a bit ahead of the curve?

[SW]

He didn’t host the Headbanger’s Ball in Europe, Vanessa Warwick did, and the show was as big over here. It was all about the bands/music at the time. Might be good for you to know ”over there”. If it hadn’t been Riki, someone else would have been the host and presented the videos in MTV’s prime.

Kristiane Backer was the 1st Headbangers ball Europe presenter I remember. Preferred her to Warwick.

And before her it was called MTV's Metal Hammer. Bailey brothers hosted it and they were good too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qhA0CC ... VHSBonanza

[Love_Industry]

He didn’t host the Headbanger’s Ball in Europe, Vanessa Warwick did, and the show was as big over here. It was all about the bands/music at the time. Might be good for you to know ”over there”. If it hadn’t been Riki, someone else would have been the host and presented the videos in MTV’s prime.

Kristiane Backer was the 1st Headbangers ball Europe presenter I remember. Preferred her to Warwick.

Backer was hotter and didn't focus so much on bands that were her friends... or had her husband in them.
If you just watched HBB Europe, you'd think The Almighty was on Guns/Mötley's level while in real life they were everyone's go-to opening band for a few years.

[Hellsinkey]

He didn’t host the Headbanger’s Ball in Europe, Vanessa Warwick did, and the show was as big over here. It was all about the bands/music at the time. Might be good for you to know ”over there”. If it hadn’t been Riki, someone else would have been the host and presented the videos in MTV’s prime.

Kristiane Backer was the 1st Headbangers ball Europe presenter I remember. Preferred her to Warwick.

Backer was hotter and didn't focus so much on bands that were her friends... or had her husband in them.
If you just watched HBB Europe, you'd think The Almighty was on Guns/Mötley's level while in real life they were everyone's go-to opening band for a few years.

Vanessa was boring. There were a few memorable occasions in MTV Europe though. I remember Stevie Blame calling the actor Judge Reinhold a "dope fiend" in an interview. Ray Cokes had a show on MTV and he had a road show somewhere in Germany and the audience started throwing stuff at him. He gave them the finger and told the audience to fuck off. His show was shortly cancelled.

[HoldenSSV]

I will always love Kevin Seal for absolutely taking the piss out of John Lydon. It went something like this:

He was interviewing him, and starts off by saying, "I'm here with Johnny Rotten . . ."
Lydon cuts him off and says, "It's Lydon."
Without missing a beat Seal says, "I'm here with Lydon Rotten. . ."

The look Lydon gave him was priceless.

[Love_Industry]

Kristiane Backer was the 1st Headbangers ball Europe presenter I remember. Preferred her to Warwick.

Backer was hotter and didn't focus so much on bands that were her friends... or had her husband in them.
If you just watched HBB Europe, you'd think The Almighty was on Guns/Mötley's level while in real life they were everyone's go-to opening band for a few years.

Vanessa was boring. There were a few memorable occasions in MTV Europe though. I remember Stevie Blame calling the actor Judge Reinhold a "dope fiend" in an interview. Ray Cokes had a show on MTV and he had a road show somewhere in Germany and the audience started throwing stuff at him. He gave them the finger and told the audience to fuck off. His show was shortly cancelled.

Vanessa interviewed a drunk Nicke from Backyard Babies on HBB when they resurfaced before Total 13 came out. They used to be long haired Guns/Skid Row/Hanoi wannabes and here he was with a spiky haircut and blurted out that "Punk rock is happening right now so we wanna be on top of it!"

Rarely has a band been so open about their trend jumping, so that's why I sometimes like to call that album "Total Sellout"

[Mister Freeze]

I recall him reading viewer mail from a Kiss fan asking if there was a video for "Everytime I Look at You" (which MTV never bothered to play).

Riki's response: "I don't know."

Thanks, genius.

I mean, you work at MTV. This show is on MTV. An intern couldn't get this question answered in two minutes? But you read the letter on the air anyway?

Worthless host. Worthless show by that point. Prong, Danzig, Jackyl, "Enter Sandman", repeat. Plus all the AIC video that were already in heavy rotation during the day.

[dmbrocker]

I recall him reading viewer mail from a Kiss fan asking if there was a video for "Everytime I Look at You" (which MTV never bothered to play).

Riki's response: "I don't know."

Thanks, genius.

I mean, you work at MTV. This show is on MTV. An intern couldn't get this question answered in two minutes? But you read the letter on the air anyway?

Worthless host. Worthless show by that point. Prong, Danzig, Jackyl, "Enter Sandman", repeat. Plus all the AIC video that were already in heavy rotation during the day.

Don’t forget Pantera, Slayer, John Bush-era Anthrax, and White Zombie! I’ve read some of the playlists from around that time, and there were also several deep cuts like I Mother Earth, Rob Halford’s post-JP band Fight, Quicksand, Exposed-era Vince, My Sister’s Machine, and a few others, so it wasn’t completely worthless by that point.

[TravisBicklesMohawk]

I think it was replaced by a show called SuperRock in '94.

95. Did anyone even watch it?

Yes.

[Ryan81]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaE1ICcbPiY

Riki Rachtman cuts his long hair (1992)

Rikki just posted an old photo of himself with long hair recalling how lots of people called him a sellout for cutting it.
He claims he just does what he feels…
Very strange mindset to still have at near 60.

Wasn’t he just following the trend, albeit a bit ahead of the curve?

I remember Rachtman making fun of Traci Guns when he cut his hair for the Ballad Of Jayne video.

[Chip Z'Hoy]

I recall him reading viewer mail from a Kiss fan asking if there was a video for "Everytime I Look at You" (which MTV never bothered to play).

Riki's response: "I don't know."

We'll have to tell our grandchildren that back in the day, we couldn't type the name of a video into a YouTube search, or Google. We had to write Riki Rachtman a letter and hope that he read the letter on TV so we could get our answer.

Sometimes he didn't know. Not a perfect system.