Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
If you’re a fan of Dokken, this one’s a fun time capsule. In this video, Robert John Hadfield digs into a short but revealing article from Hit Parader magazine (August 1985) that captures the band right in the middle of their rise—still opening for major acts, still fighting for respect, and still figuring out how to win over sometimes-hostile crowds.
**** SHARE YOUR MEMORABILIA - HERE'S HOW - youtu.be/OfW2RZbCwp8
The article offers a fascinating glimpse into Don Dokken’s personality, including a few lines that come off as confident… maybe even a little arrogant. Robert John Hadfield talks about what it really meant to be an opening band in the mid-’80s, why some crowds embraced you while others booed you off the stage, and how Dokken learned to turn jeers into cheers while sharing bills with KISS, Dio, and Twisted Sister.
Along the way, Robert John Hadfield reflects on why Tooth and Nail still holds up as a front-to-back classic, shares a personal fanboy story involving an autographed copy, and pulls out a surprisingly universal bit of wisdom from George Lynch that goes way beyond music. If you ever discovered a band because they blew you away as an opening act, this one will hit home.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why this 1985 Dokken article matters
00:45 – Tooth and Nail and peak-era Dokken
01:16 – Fanboy moment & meeting Don and Mick
02:05 – Opening bands: royalty vs. total hostility
03:10 – Bands we discovered as opening acts
04:23 – Touring with KISS, Dio & Twisted Sister
04:40 – “You can blow them off the stage” quote
06:09 – Dokken’s live energy vs. the studio sound
06:42 – Mirrored shades, arrogance, and image
08:17 – The sing-along that completely failed
09:16 – Why Don Dokken wasn’t a David Lee Roth
10:37 – George Lynch’s life advice (pure wisdom)
12:00 – Were you there? Opening act vs headliner
Join the Conversation
👉 What bands did you discover as an opening act that turned you into a lifelong fan?
👉 Did you ever see Dokken as an opener—or only as a headliner?
Drop your stories in the comments. I’d love to read them.
Sponsor Shout-Out
Huge thanks to Digitech for supporting the channel.
If you’re a guitar player, head to digitech.com and check out their latest gear—and let them know Audiomover sent you.
Hashtags
#Dokken #ToothAndNail #HitParader #80sMetal #ClassicRock #GeorgeLynch #DonDokken #HeavyMetalHistory #OpeningActs #Audiomover
If you want, next we can:
punch up counter-intuitive title ideas, or
create thumbnail phrases that lean into the arrogance / opening-band tension angle.
If you’re a fan of Dokken, this one’s a fun time capsule. In this video, Robert John Hadfield digs into a short but revealing article from Hit Parader magazine (August 1985) that captures the band right in the middle of their rise—still opening for major acts, still fighting for respect, and still figuring out how to win over sometimes-hostile crowds.
**** SHARE YOUR MEMORABILIA - HERE'S HOW - youtu.be/OfW2RZbCwp8
The article offers a fascinating glimpse into Don Dokken’s personality, including a few lines that come off as confident… maybe even a little arrogant. Robert John Hadfield talks about what it really meant to be an opening band in the mid-’80s, why some crowds embraced you while others booed you off the stage, and how Dokken learned to turn jeers into cheers while sharing bills with KISS, Dio, and Twisted Sister.
Along the way, Robert John Hadfield reflects on why Tooth and Nail still holds up as a front-to-back classic, shares a personal fanboy story involving an autographed copy, and pulls out a surprisingly universal bit of wisdom from George Lynch that goes way beyond music. If you ever discovered a band because they blew you away as an opening act, this one will hit home.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why this 1985 Dokken article matters
00:45 – Tooth and Nail and peak-era Dokken
01:16 – Fanboy moment & meeting Don and Mick
02:05 – Opening bands: royalty vs. total hostility
03:10 – Bands we discovered as opening acts
04:23 – Touring with KISS, Dio & Twisted Sister
04:40 – “You can blow them off the stage” quote
06:09 – Dokken’s live energy vs. the studio sound
06:42 – Mirrored shades, arrogance, and image
08:17 – The sing-along that completely failed
09:16 – Why Don Dokken wasn’t a David Lee Roth
10:37 – George Lynch’s life advice (pure wisdom)
12:00 – Were you there? Opening act vs headliner
Join the Conversation
👉 What bands did you discover as an opening act that turned you into a lifelong fan?
👉 Did you ever see Dokken as an opener—or only as a headliner?
Drop your stories in the comments. I’d love to read them.
Sponsor Shout-Out
Huge thanks to Digitech for supporting the channel.
If you’re a guitar player, head to digitech.com and check out their latest gear—and let them know Audiomover sent you.
Hashtags
#Dokken #ToothAndNail #HitParader #80sMetal #ClassicRock #GeorgeLynch #DonDokken #HeavyMetalHistory #OpeningActs #Audiomover
If you want, next we can:
punch up counter-intuitive title ideas, or
create thumbnail phrases that lean into the arrogance / opening-band tension angle.
