It has been awhile since Lidia and I have gone on a road trip to see a band and show. I think the last one was a year and a half ago when we went to see Radiohead on one of the first dates of the "In_Rainbow" tour in St. Louis. I book and produce over 250 shows and events a year, but I can always find a few days to travel and do or see whatever I would like. Now Lidia on the other hand runs our clothing company; Evil Kitty, an average of 10+ hours a day, seven days a week. Our company is entering it's sixth year and Lidia is really turning up the heat and making Evil Kitty thrive in this most barren of economic times. Basically she is the driving and creative force behind our company and it's slowly starting to pay off!! So needless to say that all my attempts to divert her attention from Evil Kitty does not in the least bit work these days, so when I came up with the idea to take our new Mustang GT (I love driving this car....it rules!) on a little 200 mile ride to see the Metallica boys. Before asking; I was weighing the idea of going by myself, but that kinda sux as it should be a good one to share with another person. The chance I could find someone NOT annoying to take the three hour drive each way with is a bit daunting, but most of those people I know who are NOT annoying either do not live in this city, do not care one lick about the mighty 'Tallica, are way too much too handle for that extent of time or they just exist in my head. So on my way to speak to Lidia about this most awesome of roads trips, I was already thinking what I can barter for her presence at this kick ass event! I mention that I have reconnected with Kirk again and we have two tickets and two passes from him and we HAVE to go.......PLEASE!! I am stunned by her quick reply of; "Ok". I am floored as I have nothing to say initially, but quickly recover and say; "This will rock!" Lidia has never met Metallica and I am excited she may finally meet the guys and see the band that has been a nice and important part of my life.
I first heard of Metallica in the pages of Kerrang! magazine from the UK. There was a mention of a bay area band that was faster than shit and they had a demo cassette they were giving away thru the mail. I think this was the "No Life 'Til Leather" tape, which fast became a underground legend and a HUGE collectible. The first song I heard by them was "Hit The Lights", finally the perfect hybrid of punk and metal! You knew from that first listening to this song that this band had the right idea and knew how to get it across. I was able to purchase "Kill 'Em All" on their initial Megaforce Records release on cassette. I reviewed this record for my fanzine; Last Rites, and basically said this was the shit and everyone had better get with this San Francisco act quickly or be left in the dust! I loved the fact that this group was giving the world everything they had and no filler. They wore their attitudes and desires on their sleeves and meant everything they said. The fact that their press pics had them all sweaty, pimply and buzzed was a huge statement that no other metal or rock band had ever done. Warts and all is what the 'Tallica guys gave you and you either love it or lump it buddy!! Clash attitude with Sabbath heaviness; I was hooked and have been for their whole run (issues with St. Anger and Some Kind Of Monster; but other than that....PERFECT!!). I can't think of no other band that has been as consistently incredible in product and performance and have maintained their loyalty to their fans; NO ONE!! Their music is more than just a soundtrack for millions, it's a rallying cry, a statement and the reason you get back up and dust yourself off and attack the bastards again. I don't think the Stones, U2, Phish, AC/DC, Kenny Chesney or any other mega act can say this; except maybe for Bruce....maybe (jury is still out). That summer Metallica came to do 2 shows at a dive club on north Broadway called cleverly enough; Broadway Jack's. A all ages show and a 21+ show were scheduled and I headed there to review the early show for my fanzine. Needless to say that was one of many sets of music that was to keep me coming back to Metallica for the next twenty five years. My initial contact with the band was at this all ages show in this dive club. I was able to talk briefly with Kirk and we talked about GBH, a killer punk band from the UK that was bridging the punk and metal gap from the punk side. Little did I know at that point how many times I would intersect with the greatest metal band that ruled the Earth!
The next time I would run into Metallica was the start of the "Monsters Of Rock Tour" in the summer of 1988 at Alpine Valley for three incredibly wild days and nights. These also were the first big gigs for new bass player; Jason Newsted, who had replaced Cliff Burton who tragically died on tour in Europe. This was also the debut of songs from the soon to be released "...And Justice For All" lp. These shows were the start of this mega tour in the summer on '88 and it was to foreshadow how incredible the band were to become for decades and the intense connection between band and fan that carried them on this incredible juggernaut. That weekend I was able to get backstage and stay there for three days. I met and hung with their guitar techs, drum tech, sound man (still and always Big Mick!) and the band. They were second out of five acts on this monstrous mega metal tour and it was fun to see the guys crush Dokken (the act after them every show on this tour) and get encores only had by headliners Van Halen and Scorpions. That weekend I met and had a great drinking bout with James and ended up in some fans hotel room playing poker with him while they filmed the game and ask James questions; a bit surreal especially when the conversation turned to Cliff's death. That weekend was an amazing entry into the Metallica world that would led me to many amazing, legendary and funny experiences. I plan on writing about my many awesome and incredible things that happened to me while in the Metallica world. Riding the crew bus in Florida, sitting with Kirk at his guitar tech's wedding in Boston (that was a trip), seeing the band in Denver at Red rocks for two nights while a rumor of a suicide cult were going to off themselves during "Fade To Black" and the band deciding right there NOT to play that song either night & subsequently shying away from it for years because of this stigma and rumor from Denver, getting one of EVERY piece of Metallica merchandise from Jason (I had to throw out some of my clothes to bring all this stuff back from the road trip), being the only non-member of the band at their sound check at the Donnington race track in the UK and seeing them play "2x4" (off the killer "Load" lp) for sound check for the first time live, My bus ride up to Donnington with just Jason and Tim Duffy (rest of the band helicoptered to the site, Jason hated helicopters....lucky me) standing onstage at the tiny Astoria 2 in London watching them play for 900 people, staying at the hotel in Paris that was Hitler's Paris command center and was in La Femme Nikita, drinking with James and some Paris girls and being waited on hand and foot (most incredible hotel, you need to check it out: http://www.regina-hotel.com/), riding back to the hotel after the Rotterdam gig with James and Jason in the van playing them the bands I managed and letting them have the demo's, signing all our drinks to Lars tab at the hotel in Manchester and many others it makes my head spin. Truly lucky to have been with and witness the best metal or rock band EVER!!!!
The Indy show was just what I needed after finally conceding that "St. Anger" was their first bummer of a record. I love everything they have ever done until this lp and the the following movie with that psychiatrist. I love the first record, I love Justice and I think "Load" might be their best complete lp of them all. My three favorite songs are; "Enter Sandman" (may be best metal/rock single of ALL time), "Whiplash" and "Seek And Destroy", anytime I hear those a instant smile goes thru my body and mind. So this new cd had me a little worried as I hoped they had regained the ground where all this over the top writing and playing came from (it had abandoned them for St. Anger) and I did not want to give up on a band and guys who had made such an impact in my life. So it took me a few months to finally buy the cd and listen to it. It was good, but I had no idea how good until I saw them drill it into me in Indy. They are back and it's all about the song crafting and intensity in all the right places (St. Anger was a pile driver with no rhyme nor reason; it seemed like a ode to Slayer or a 50 plus minute mid life crisis). I actually went out and bought the $150 box set and think this one stands up against the best of their best. The band seem much more comfortable in their skins as they seemed the opposite in the movie and the St. Anger tour I saw. All I can say is they are back and on top of their game; setting 'em up and knocking 'em down all over the world! I just hope they know a little tiny bit how much they have made my life a blast and given me the idea you can do anything, especially if loads of people are saying you can't do it. If you have never seen them live; even if you don't care for their music, you have to see one of their shows as it is the water mark every other band in the universe should hold themselves to. I have been able to get 100's of people into their shows (and most met the band before or afterwards) and they all come away with their jaws on the ground and a mad ass respect for them and the genre we all call and love.....METAL!!!!
