rikiskatessInterview with Riki Rachtman Host of Headbanger’s Ball,Owner of the Cathouse Nightclub and Skateboarder

Full Name: Riki Rachtman

Exhibit A: You’re a pretty big  name in the Heavy Metal. Why do you feel that is?

Riki Rachtman: Well, I started a club in 1986, that was the biggest nightclub in the world. Every band played there, from Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth, Motorhead, Alice in Chains Pearl Jam, Alice Cooper, the list goes on.  The club got me a bit of notary, which led to me me hosting MTV’s “Headbanger’s. Ball”.

Exhibit A: How was a regular night at the Cathouse Nightclub?

Riki Rachtman: There was nothing regular about a night at the Cathouse. It seems like a cliche to say but sex, debauchery, every decadent vice. When you hear about the wild times the old rock scene was made of The Cathouse was all X100 It was just the best. The biggest rock bands just ended up hanging out there and there were no cameras allowed in the club. We never publicized what went down inside, so patrons felt safe to do what ever they wanted. Since all the rock stars hung out there, all the girls would hangout there too. We never had to go around saying “we have the sexiest girls at our club”, I was always very much against that whole cheesy cliche, but we had the sexiest girls and anybody that was there knows it. We still sell Cathouse shirts worldwide.

Exhibit A: Who were some of the usuals?

Riki Rachtman: Guns N’ Roses, James Hetfield from Metallica was there all the time, Danzig, Suicidal Tendencies, Faster Pussycat.. everybody. Every band went there and pretty much every band played there. We had our share of celebrity clientele as well.  I remember seeing Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer hanging out in the DJ booth, a couple weeks Christina Applegate worked in the coat check, while she was still on on Married with Children. I don’t recall  famous people ever getting bugged at the Cathouse. Truth be told  they were treated much different than the unemployed musician scraping enough money for a beer or the secretary living a life of rock chick for one night. If you take a look at any of the books by Slash or Nikki Sixx, they all mention the Cathouse.

Exhibit A: Do you have any plans to re-open the Cathouse?

Riki Rachtman:  I’m not going to lie it is my dream to own another bar, but times are different now people don’t go out like they used to. Maybe, if it was in Vegas, I wouldn’t do it again in LA.

Exhibit A: You also hosted MTV’s Heavy Metal show “Headbanger’s Ball.” How did you get started there?

Riki Rachtman: The show was originally on TV with different hosts every time. I was watching it with people we hung around with with Gun N’ Roses, etc. Actually, Axl set-up the audition and flew me out  to New York. I  walked into the audition with Axl Rose and I’m sure that didn’t hurt, because I didn’t have any TV background.  I got the job, that was my first time doing anything on TV. I’m the first to admit I was terrible for the first couple months. I let them put on the make-up and help me with wardrobe. I was young I was nervous and I was excited to be on television. When you watch the years of me on that show  you can tell I cared less about how I looked on television throughout the years.

Exhibit A:  How was it like working on a metal show for a  mainstream channel?

Riki Rachtman: It definitely had its pluses and minuses, most were all pluses though. I got to work with every band, go to every show, travel.. I got to be a rock star without being in a band. One  of the minuses, was that metal heads are so vocal and they will tell you anything they didn’t like and since I was the host, they automatically targeted me to take it out on and I had no say on the videos that were being played. If there  wasn’t enough thrash, it was Riki’s fault, not enough Glam,  blame Riki. I wish I would have had a little bit of input on the programming, but in its defense Headbangers Ball turned a lot of people onto some great music.

Exhibit A:  You were also the host of Rock Of Love Reunion? How was that like working on a Reality TV Show.

Riki Rachtman:  I hosted the Rock Of Love Reunion, Charm School and Daisy Of Love. I’ve actually been on MTV and VH1 longer than anyone period. There were again, pluses and minuses, but I had a blast on Daisy Of Love. Reality TV is something I’m not a fan of, but I really had a good time on that show. If they ever did a Daisy of Love 2,  I would do it again in a second.

Exhibit A: What got you into metal?

Riki Rachtman: I was not a good kid and when your parents or other authority figures turn against you, your sanctuary is usually your music. I love music, all kinds of music.. almost. I always liked fast, loud, in your face music. Heavy Metal like Punk Rock is rebel music, I should say I was. It sickens me the music people call punk these days. Metal was the music the bad kids listened to. When I was little, Ted Nugent was the greatest, recently I saw him play and every other word he would say was N**ger, from that day on I stopped liking the Nuge. I like Thin Lizzy and since day 1 was really into Alice Cooper. I got into stuff like the Germs, TSOL, Motorhead and started getting exposed to some of the thrash bands. Of course, when all your friends are starting bands like Guns N’ Roses, Faster Pussycat, Junkyard, etc. You’re watching some great bands from the beginning.

Exhibit A: We read you were in a band. What instrument did you play?

Riki Rachtman: The last band I was in was Battery Club and I was singer. John Mauer of Social Distortion and Roger Ramjet of the Adolescents (and every OC punk band at one point), made up the set, this was almost 20 years ago.

Exhibit A: What is your first metal memory?

Riki Rachtman: It’s hard for me to figure out what’s metal, what’s rock n’ roll and what’s punk. I listen to loud, aggressive music.  I remember buying my first Alice Cooper album.,  I remember seeing thin Lizzy open for Queen.  Any of the really good stuff, I can’t remember anymore. I’ve been going to shows since I was a kid, though it wasn’t always metal bands. Yes, I love a lot of metal, but my CD collection doesn’t have anything categorized, it’s just all music. I don’t have my cds categorized, I tried, but it was too hard for me to figure out  if a band was metal or just rock n’ roll. I just listen to music, but it just so happens a lot of the stuff is loud and heavy.

Exhibit A: What are some of your favorite bands, past and present?

Riki Rachtman: Present bands would have to be Supersuckers, Lamb Of God, Slipknot, but  I also like country music. I like a lot of the old school OC punk bands like the Adolescents, TSOL, I’m a huge Germs fan. I like the old thrash stuff: Megadeth, Pantera.  I like a lot of different stuff.. like Electric Light Orchestra(haha) and I listen to a lot of rockabilly. My CD’s are so bizarre, because I listen to everything.

Exhibit A:  What’s the last  Metal show that you’ve attended?

Riki Rachtman: I go to as many Lamb of God shows, as I can. Mark Morton is one of the very few musicians, I speak with regularly. I saw Slipknot last time they were around and that’s about it for metal. I probably check out more old-school punk shows than metal these days.

Exhibit A: What would make the ultimate concert for you?

Riki Rachtman: This is going to sound stupid in this interview, but I remember seeing the Supersuckers play and Willie Nelson got up on stage, I thought that was one of the coolest rock moments. As far as the ultimate metal show,  I’d like something new and something old, I always have a blast when I go see Suicidal Tendencies

Exhibit A: Would you say Metal had a major impact on your life, if so why?

Riki Rachtman: It doesn’t matter what I do now or  what I do 10 years from now, I will always hear, “ Dude, you’re the guy from Headbanger’s Ball”.

Exhibit A: What do you think about hip hop?

Riki Rachtman: I like Tupac, there’s some hip hop that I like. But again, I think when everyone does the same thing, it just gets boring. I heard the new Jay-Z album and I really like it. Like a lot of music,  I tend to lean towards the old-school. It seems hip hop of today doesn’t even have good rhyming skills, the stuff today is nothing.. you just put T-pain or Will I Am in the album and you sold a million records. I still am a big Tupac fan, he’s definitely one of my top 10 artists.

Exhibit A: Metal has alot of well-known artists involved in the Album artwork, logos, etc. Are you a fan of art? If so, Any Particular artists?

Riki Rachtman: I’m a fan of art. Im a big fan of Lo Brow or Pop  Surrealism. I went to the Louvre in Paris and was totally speechless after seeing “The Young Martyr” by Paul DelaRoche.  On the other hand,  I love some of the work that was done on monster movie posters from the 1930’s. I was exposed to Robert Williams, because of Guns N’ Roses. Many think they know of Giger, because of Danzig. but I remember him from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I feel music exposes a lot of people to art, due to a bands album, etc. Whatever a band is into, their fans want to get into too.

Exhibit A: Where do you feel metal affected Pop Culture today?

Riki Rachtman: Right now especially, If you look at kids they’re not wearing too much of the new bands t-shirts, but more of the old school bands like Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC.. I think it’s because too many bands of today just really suck and the bands than were good. Everything is about shocking people, but you can’t keep shocking people, because people just grow numb, you have to back it up. I tell people I love Slipknot, many think they’re just in silly outfits on stage, but really there’s some good music there.  When it comes to fashion, I feel it was Metal that inspired the whole ripped up jeans, and especially skulls all came from the early 80’s Metal. Nobody was proud of putting skulls on things, now skulls are on everything, even the Punk Rock bands of the late 70’s weren’t putting skulls on everything, now they’re everywhere!

Exhibit A: Do you skateboard? And if so, what was your first board?

Riki Rachtman: Yes, I skateboard! I used to work at the Marina Del Rey Skate park at the snack bar. When I worked there, I felt that was the best time in skateboarding.  I have a ridiculous amount of knowledge when it comes to old-school skateboarding and skateboarders. I remember all the old skateboard parks. I can go on forever on the evolution of the wheels.  My first board I made, probably using a piece a wood,  I didn’t have the money for a skateboard than, so I would make my own. I bought my first deck with Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels. I would skate Bahne and Cadillac wheels, as I got older, I rode Dogtown and Alva. I still remember this really cool black Shogo Kubo deck I rode. I still ride Alva, that’s what I’m riding now, the Alva Re- issue.. I still skate.

Exhibit A: Do you have any favorites in the skating world?

Riki Rachtman: Obviously, all the Dogtown guys, that is what I grew up watching. I always liked watching them skate the pools, they had style and flow, because it originated from surfing. I was always a huge TA fan and Jay Adams, all those guys. As for guys in skating today,  the guys I still like are still the Old School guys, because to me it’s all about style. I remember the first time I saw an aerial done, it was by this guy named Shreddy. I remember thinking this is going to revolutionize skateboarding.

Exhibit A: Did you ever do anything more with skateboarding?

Riki Rachtman: I had a Skateboard company, we were making old schoolshape boards and I never understood why nobody was re-issuing the old school wide boards. The company was doing pretty good, until I had a tiny run in with the guy that owned V****n/S****t. They were manufacturing our decks and the guy was a Dick. It wasn’t like we were making any money, it was just fun for me to have my own skateboard company, the shoulder park and seeing someone riding our decks.  We had Brian Brannon of JFA, Art and Steve Godoy.

Exhibit A: What are you up to nowadays ?
I like to listen to music,  I don’t have to be up on the latest hippest bands, because I have to talk to them.  For over eight years, I have made a damn good living working in NASCAR.  I have a syndicated radio show called “Racing Rocks” and I’m currently on a television show on Speed Channel. There are also two separate shows  that I’m working on having made so I won’t be only a host, I’ll be a producer. Of course,  everyone in this town has a pilot, so both of those shows are pretty much talk at this time.