Before Slayer could cross into Canada for their March 28 performance in Quebec City, they had to get through customs. The March 23 notebook entry is a full equipment list, valued down to the last guitar string.
The band's classic early equipment is all represented: the BC Rich Warlocks, Gibson Les Pauls, and Ibanez Flying V along with MXR pedals, Boss delays, D’Addario XL120s, and the smoke machine. By the 28th, band and equipment made it to Albert Rousseau Hall, ready to deliver the songs of Hell Awaits to the north.
1. Official customs paperwork filed May 25, 1985, ahead of the Hell Awaits tour Canada dates. The forms detail a full inventory of the band’s gear, including amplifiers, guitars, pedals, and effects. From the Collection of Doug Goodman
2. Kerry King's road case for the Hell Awaits tour, 1985. More behind-the-scenes photos from this era are found in Murder in the Front Row by Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew. Photo: Harald Oimoen. From the Collection of Slayer
