Episode 45 - Riki Rachtman
b"When we think back to those angst filled teenage years in the early 90's when we couldn't find a fake i.d. and we still had a curfew, some of our best memories are of spending Saturday nights hanging out at a friends house, eating day old pizza and watching the\\xa0Headbangers Ball\\xa0on MTV.\\n\\n\\n\\nWhile the show started back in 1985 with an ever-rotating host, the show came into our collective consciousness during the transition from\\xa0Adam Curry\\xa0to this week's guest,\\xa0Riki Rachtman.\\n\\n\\n\\nWhile Curry did an admirable job hosting the Ball, the show took on a more adventurous and fun direction when Rachtman took the reins in 1990.\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\nRiki Rachtman's profile in rock history goes back further, though, to his days as owner of\\xa0The Cathouse; a famed L.A. nightspot that was frequented by rock stars of all sorts and the women that adored them. Rachtman's first on-camera appearance took place in 1988's Penelope Spheeris-directed\\xa0The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. In the movie, Rachtman is interviewed on location at the aforementioned Cathouse along with co-owner/roommate\\xa0Taime Downe\\xa0of\\xa0Faster Pussycat.\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\nRachtman's friendship with\\xa0Guns N Roses\\xa0frontman\\xa0Axl Rose\\xa0led to an audition at\\xa0MTV\\xa0as Curry was on his way out as host of Headbangers Ball. His hosting duties would last for five years (1990-1995) until Headbangers Ball was abruptly canceled with no more than a phone call to Rachtman breaking the news.\\n\\n\\n\\nIn the ensuing years since Headbangers Ball, Riki Racthman has stayed active in the entertainment industry; contributing his hosting talents to such outfits as\\xa0World Championship Wrestling, Los Angeles radio station\\xa0KLSX, several\\xa0VH1\\xa0productions, and his\\xa0NASCAR-themed racing show called\\xa0Racing Rocks\\xa0and is heard on over 120 stations across America.\\n\\n\\n\\nRiki was gracious enough to take some time to talk to Chris this week about the crazy days of The Cathouse, the story that led to getting the Headbangers Ball hosting gig, his memories of hosting the Ball and traveling the world, his response to critics that have accused him of pushing an agenda while on MTV, and his take on where the network (and music in general) is at today.\\n\\n\\n\\nRiki also gives us details about his current 3-country/11 state trek from Mexico through America through Canada and to\\xa0Sturgis\\xa0on motorcycles with his long-time friend Taime Downe. As of the date of this episode's recording, Riki and co. were in Washington state and you can track their progress in real-time by clicking this\\xa0link\\xa0or you can receive his updates on his\\xa0Twitter\\xa0page.\\n\\n\\n\\nWe thank Riki Rachtman for taking the time to talk to us. We hope this episode brings back as many memories for you as it did for us.\\n\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"