Riki Rachtman: MTV, Metal, and Madness

In this episode, Chris and Craig are joined by a true icon of the heavy metal scene, Riki Rachtman, the legendary former host of MTV's Headbangers Ball and the founder of the infamous Cathouse club in Hollywood.

Riki brings an absolute masterclass of rock history to the show, sharing wild and previously untold stories from the 1980s sunset strip era. He opens up about his early days as a DJ selling cocaine hidden inside mixtape cassettes, and how he organically built the Cathouse into the ultimate hangout spot for bands like Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses. You will hear hilarious and shocking behind-the-scenes tales, including the time Axl Rose wanted to rent a private island to fight Vince Neil to the death with swords, what Slash was really like back in the day, and the truth about the diseases floating around the Cathouse.

The conversation also takes a deeply personal turn as Riki gets vulnerable about his mental health journey. He candidly discusses dealing with ADHD, severe depression, and his early struggles with extreme substance abuse. Riki explains how hitting rock bottom led to his sobriety in 1988, and how a healthy fear of losing the life he has built keeps him away from drugs and alcohol today. The guys also dive into the toxic nature of social media algorithms, the trap of destination addiction, and the importance of focusing on positivity.

Riki is currently sharing these incredible stories and more on his highly successful one-man spoken word tour, "One Foot In The Gutter." You can grab tickets to hear him live at: http://cathousehollywood.com.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 Riki Rachtman on MTV, Cathouse & Rock History

00:04:52 Why Riki Loves His Spoken Word Tour

00:06:22 How Riki Handles Hecklers & Protects His True Stories

00:08:47 The Radio Station Fight That Cost Riki His Career

00:10:08 "Psycho Linda" & The Reality of Attracting Crazy

00:12:09 Hiding Cocaine Inside Mixtapes as a Hollywood DJ

00:15:55 Being the "Forrest Gump" of the Sunset Strip Rock Scene

00:19:36 When Axl Rose Wanted to Fight Vince Neil to the Death

00:21:06 The Truth About Slash & Early Guns N' Roses Gigs

00:24:32 Cathouse Secrets: Tetanus, STDs, & Famous Rockstars

00:28:18 Growing up in Hollywood & Unseen David Lee Roth Gigs

00:30:18 Memory Loss & David Bowie Hiding From Axl Rose

00:33:55 The Lost Art of Listening to Vinyl & MTV's Golden Era

00:35:42 The Decline of Western Civilization & Gabe Reed in Prison

00:40:04 "Does Danzig Tour With Wolves?" & Dumb Fan Questions

00:42:02 Why Riki Refused to Write a Book & Started Touring

00:46:53 Duff McKagan is the King of Terrible Dad Jokes

00:48:41 The Dark Reality of Addiction: Cocaine at 13 & Meth Abuse

00:52:38 Surviving the 80s: Why Fear Keeps Riki Rachtman Sober

00:56:18 Turning Severe ADHD Into a Hollywood Superpower

00:59:37 The Danger of "Destination Addiction" & Always Wanting More

01:02:03 The Brutal Reality of Touring: Playing to an Empty Room

01:06:18 Witnessing Sam Kinison Blow Up at The Comedy Store

01:09:03 Hitting the Road: The "One Foot in the Gutter" Tour

01:13:21 Exposing the Toxic Negativity of Social Media Algorithms

01:15:58 Chris Kael "Quits" the Podcast to Go Viral