RIKI RACHTMAN TAKES VEGAS! 

I was really looking forward to Riki Rachtman coming to Las Vegas with his “One Foot in the Gutter” show! And when Riki reached out to me personally inviting me to attend I was DEFINITELY not going to miss it! I got to Back Stage Bar & Billiards early after Riki’s Meet and Greet and Riki hugged me and was really happy to see me.Riki has been on a successful tour with his show which features his memories and stories of the “Cathouse Club” days as well as his successful run on “Headbangers Ball” and his career and experiences. Riki oozes personality onstage with his early childhood idolizing rock bands and music to making his own history with the music idols he grew up listening to.Riki talked about his close relationship with his best friend Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat and how Riki told Taime he wanted to wanted to open up a rock dance club which turned out to have the biggest stars in the world take the small  Cathouse stage. Gun’s N’ Roses, Alice Cooper, The Black Crowes, you name it. They all vied to perform at the club where the height of rock and roll debauchery took place with the “No Photo” policy in full force. The club reigned at the top of the rock and roll food chain until 1995. Rikki told me he decided to pull the plug when he read in an article that the hottest dance club “Vertigo was out and the Cathouse was in”. Riki said: “That was the beginning of the end. It felt like we were almost mainstream. I felt things were slowing down so I would rather quit on top and have no regrets at all”.I loved the part of the show where Riki talked about his close relationship with the great Lemmy Kilmister and their adventures together. Then Riki held up a bullet that contained Lemmy’s ashes and declared that “Lemmy was in the house!” Riki said that it was his prized possession and when Lemmy died he had his ashes sent to his closest friends in a bullet. How cool! Only Lemmy would have such a genius idea!  Riki had the biggest rock stars in the world on “HeadBangers Ball” when he hosted it. Axl Rose made the call to MTV to have Riki host and even went to the audition with him. And the rest was history!

Riki also revealed his lowest points in his career where he got fired for punching a radio jock who belittled him. His electricity was cut off and he made a video saying things were going to be better for him. When he got home he had found his video camera that he made the statement on had been stolen! He got a job at a car dealership and put on a tie and people would come up to him and say” Aren’t you Riki Rachtman from “Headbangers Ball?” We’ve all been there Riki!

There were many special guests and friends of Riki’s in the audience which included Chris Kael (Fiver Finger Death Punch) Danny Nordahl and Kieran Robertson from Faster Pussycat, Mitch Schnieder, Lonn Friend from RIP Magazine and so many more.

The after party was rockin with Micki Free, Les Warner, Jeff Tortora, Talon Scott Chrystopher and Cheetah Chrome from Dead Boys. It was frightening though because Cheetah Chrome took a tumble off the stage and landed on his head! Panic ensued to free him from between the huge speakers and amplifiers where he was stuck. Everyone was worried as he was taken away with a gash on his head. The last I heard he was okay but we were all worried!

It is always a pleasure to see Big Daddy Carlos and Ava Berman whose hospitality is off the charts as they continue to bring great entertainment to downtown Las Vegas! Great job as always! I met a lot of cool people that night and thanks to Brett and Crista from Metal Nerds for dinner!I told Riki after the show he should be a motivational speaker because of how he said that if you feel like your best days are behind you don’t quit or give up because “you never know when you’re going to have the best time of your life.”

Well said and congratulations on a great show Riki!

I asked Riki if it was true his show is coming to Netflix and he “Could not confirm or deny where it will end up right now because it is all in the early stages. There are several ideas going around. Ya Never know! I’m excited though!”

Keep up the great work Riki and I look forward to seeing you back here in Sin City! And by the way…I want that shirt you were wearing onstage!

Sally Steele