March 15, 1985, the first night of the Hell Awaits tour. Slayer played two 60-minute sets at Striders in Columbia, South Carolina, at 7:30 and 11:00 PM. Load-in was “whenever.”
The band took home $520, minus a running tally of expenses that included gas, a motel stay at Howard Johnson, 7-Eleven supplies, and a mirror. But it’s the setlist, written in red ink, that speaks loudest. These were the songs being road-tested and sharpened night after night, as Hell Awaits began to claw its way into venues across America.
1. Ticket for Slayer’s appearance at Striders nightclub in Columbia, South Carolina. Presented by Manifest Productions, the ticket lists a 10:30 PM start time and a $6.00 advance price ($7.00 at the door). From the Collection of Doug Goodman
VIDEO:
In this exclusive Slaytanic Verses interview, Kerry King discusses the pressure of two-show nights like this one at Striders in 1985.From the Collection of Slayer
