At some point, every band, no matter how great they may become in the future, they all start out opening up gigs for some other band... and that was exactly the case back in 1982 when Metallica opened up for Ratt at a roller rink in Fullerton California called Billy Barty's Roller Fantasy.
It was a pretty damn good lineup. Some band called Victory started the night off, then Rising Force featuring one of my least favorite guitarists - Yngwie Malmsteen, followed by a promising young metal band called Metallica, Y&T, and then the headliner Ratt. It was a night of 80's metal, roller skating, hot dogs, and a dj announcing "all skate, everyone skate".
If the name Billy Barty sounds a little familiar too you, it should. Mr. Barty stood all of 3 foot 9 inches tall and starred in movies and TV shows going back as far as the 1930s. I could make a huge list, but you may remember Legend with Tom Cruise, he played Screwball.. or Masters of the Universe.. Love Boat.. or one of my favorite saturday morning views - Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.
Billy took some of that fat coin he made in Hollywood and wisely invested in a roller rink that would also throw concerts on Saturday nights. Over the years, they brought in acts like the Plimsouls, Rick Derringer, and on October 23rd 1982, Rocshire Productions and Grover Jackson Guitars brought in a bunch of long-haired musicians for night of music and cheap rental skates.
Yes, according to musicians who played the event, everyone got a long for the most part, and yes... people were skating while the bands were playing. Well, of course they were, it is a skating rink after all.
Patrick Capone
https://patrickcapone.com