As the UK is the grip of the worst freeze since 1981, we thought it was time to take a look back at the last time everywhere was white and slippery, and public transport was about as mobile as a comatose snail. Come inside for 10 rock-related things that happened 29 years ago…

1. Three bands who formed that year were Metallica, Motley Crue and Slayer. We like that.

2. Paul Di’Anno left Iron Maiden, with Bruce Bruce of Samson coming in and becoming Bruce Dickinson. Again, thumbs up.

3. Blue Oyster Cult were so annoyed by the their dire performance at the Monsters Of Rock Festival that Eric Bloom, of said parish, destroyed the commemorative mirror the band were given by the promoters. He jumped up and down on it like a kangaroo on crack. In public. Highly amusing.

4. Eric Carr joined Kiss in place of Peter Criss.  Cue (Music From) The Elder. Hmmm…

5. Anvil released debut album Hard ‘N’ Heavy, and set in motion a series of events which would lead them to become mainstream darlings. Only took another 28 years.

6. Queen composed and recorded the soundtrack for the movie Flash Gordon. Queen and Brian Blessed – it doesn’t get much more ludicrous. Or joyous. Altogether now: “Gordon’s Alive!”

7. Def Leppard began a highly lucrative alliance with producer ‘Mutt’ Lange.

8. Girlschool, Gillan and The Kinks headline the Reading Festival. Hardly the stuff of legend.

9. In an effort to rival the Monsters Of Rock, Port Vale FC hosted the Heavy Metal Holocaust, with Motorhead, Ozzy, Triumph, Mahogany Rush, Riot and Vardis. How did that go? Well, it didn’t happen again. Triumph and Riot have never returned to Britain, while Mahogany Rush would only come back after a gap of some 25 years. And Port Vale are now in League Two – which is really Division Four.

10. The animated movie Heavy Metal was released, with a soundtrack featuring Sammy Hagar, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Black Sabbath and Journey.  It got a mixed reception.

So, there you go. Good to know the last time we froze, it wasn’t a bad time to be a rock and metal fan. Wonder what we’ll remember of 2010?