Doug Johnson - keyboards; Jeff Klaven - drums; Mark Kohler - bass; Marc Storace - vocals; Fernando Von Arb - guitar
Krokus was a Swiss metal band that saw their biggest popularity during the initial years of MTV in the mid 1980s. Led by its Maltese-born vocalist Marc Storace and Swiss guitarist Fernando Von Arb, the band began as a progressive rock band (inspired by the likes of Yes and ELP). When the group was not able to attain any immediate fame playing that style of music, they gradually moved into a metal format.
Had it not been for the band's fan-friendly hair-metal looks and the power of MTV, it is doubtful they would have had the platinum success they saw with Headhunter, their 1983 breakthrough album. Signed in America to Arista Records, Krokus had a powerful promotional team behind them. The band was usually reviewed poorly by rock critics, but their fans didn't care because in their minds, these guys knew how to rock.
Krokus quickly faded after the success of Headhunter and the initial exposure they gained on this tour. The band's follow-up album, The Blitz, only went gold, and then Krokus began a series of personnel changes before splitting up. This show, however, was caught during the peak period of the band's popularity and features mostly material from Headhunter. They try, unsuccessfully, to breathe new live into The Guess Who classic "American Woman," but otherwise, what is heard here are mostly Krokus originals. And these do rock, particularly "Heat Stokes," "Rock City", "Eat The Rich," and their title track, "Headhunter."