June 24, 1985: Slayer hit London, and 500 fans crammed into the Marquee Club to meet the storm head-on. The crowd outside had already grown loud and restless, so much so that club staff briefly chained the doors shut and nearly pulled the plug. But just as tensions peaked, the doors opened, and Slayer’s first-ever UK gig roared to life.
Support came from Atomkraft, whose set was cut short by technical issues. In a final act of frustration, they sent a bass drum bouncing through the crowd, who ducked and scattered like a game of human pinball. By the time Slayer took the stage, the room was primed to combust. What followed became one of the most mythologized nights in underground music history. Slayer tore through 15 songs at breakneck speed, leveling the Marquee with a set so ferocious the venue reportedly banned thrash gigs for some time afterward. The crowd was rabid. The temperature soared. “Definitely remember the condensation dripping down the windows separating the bar from the live room,” said one fan. “Mental,” said another. “Blinding night. The Marquee had never been that sweaty.”
It was also a cultural shift. “A really important show for punk/metal crossover,” one fan remembered. “I know a load of punks that went. It was probably the first time they’d been to a metal show.”
Now, thanks to direct outreach to the fans* who were there, Slaytanic Verses brings you rare photographs, original artifacts, and eyewitness accounts that bring this infamous night roaring back to life.
As Slayer returns to the UK in July 2025, we mark the 40th anniversary of this seismic event with a special milestone in the Live Assaults collection, honoring the night London felt the full force of Slayer for the first time, and a generation of British fans were baptized in hellfire.
*Special thanks to the fans who made this milestone possible: Marty Rigby, Laurence Prior, Melvin Bartholomew, Ray Kirby, and Trampy AJ.
1-4. Slayer performs at the Marquee Club, London, on June 24th, 1985. Attendees from that evening described the Marquee Club as "an iconic venue, small, dark, all black. It was a bit like CBGBs. The smell of the toilet was the worst." From the Collection of Marty Rigby
5-7. Slayer performs at the Marquee Club, London, on June 24th, 1985. Marty Rigby described the scene: "We’d never seen anything as intense as that. Even back then, I remember thinking that sort of gig, you’re not going to get many of these in your lifetime. The first time in the UK, the crowd — it was crazy." From the Collection of Laurence Prior
8. Backstage pass for the Marquee Club gig, June 24, 1985. From the Collection of Marty Rigby
9. Slayer, Atomkraft, and Venom's Abaddon backstage at the Marquee Club, London, June 24th, 1985. Abaddon introduced Slayer that evening. From the Collection of Marty Rigby
10. Opening band Atomkraft sets up on the Marquee Club stage, June 24, 1985. Marty Rigby remembers: "When Atomkraft played, the third or fourth song, something went wrong. Tony Dolan, the main man in Atomkraft, his bass was smashed and the bass drum went out into the audience." From the Collection of Marty Rigby
11. Slayer sound check at the Marquee Club, London, June 24th, 1985. Marty Rigby described the day. "When we got there, we drove down from Newcastle, nigh on 300 miles. We left at six or seven in the morning, got to London, parked around back of the Marquee, and started setting up Atomkraft’s stuff. Slayer came in for soundcheck, we took some photos. At four or five o'clock, the cue had already started forming. We thought, this is going to be crazy. The owner came to us and said, 'Slayer has only got one road crew. You'se are going to have to road crew for Slayer.' So we start helping set things up. Gary Young, the drummer for Avenger, was helping Dave Lombardo set up his kit." From the Collection of Marty Rigby
12-14. Slayer performs at the Marquee Club, London, June 24th, 1985. From the Collection of Melvin Roy Bartholomew
15. Original ticket to the Marquee Club Slayer gig, June 24, 1985. The show was a complete sell-out, with many people turned away. The crowd was described by attendees as a "good mix between punk and metal fans." From the Collection of Laurence Prior
16-21. Marquee Club post-show candids taken with fan and default road crew, Marty Rigby, June 24, 1985. From the Collection of Marty Rigby
22. Part of a Pizza Express to-go box with autographs of Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, and Abaddon from Venom, saved from the night of the Marquee Club performance. The owner of the box explained that he didn't get more signatures because he was "too busy swilling vodka out of the bottle with the rest of the band to be bothered with getting stuff signed." From the Collection of Trampy AJ
23. The other half of the same Pizza Express box, saved from the night of Slayer's performance at the Marquee Club. The box has the night's setlist and autographs from all four members of the band, plus Abaddon of Venom. From the Collection of Ray Kirby
AUDIO: Slayer performs "Metal Storm/Face the Slayer" at the Marquee Club, London, June 24, 1985. From the Collection of Slayer
VIDEO: Promotional video for Slayer's three UK performances, 2025.
