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Metallica - interview

Last December I had the most surreal experience of my life. Lars Ulrich from Metallica called my mobile.

I had reviewed the first Metallica show in Australia, here on TheVine. I said it was great, but also that I thought Lars' "greatest nemesis was his younger self". And that at times he looked like "a gurning elf". I could only assume that he was now calling me to offer personal retribution.

How wrong I was. Lars loved the review, thought it was unique and insightful. (Subtext: Lars Ulrich reads TheVine!). And so, would I be interested in hanging out with the band the following week, as a "fly on the wall" guest of the band over the last four days of their two and a half year tour behind Death Magnetic? A journey that, fortuitously for me, just happened to be finishing in my hometown of Melbourne. "Yes". I said to Lars.

The resulting 7000 word article I penned about the experience can't be printed here, unfortunately. It appears exclusively in the latest edition of the Metallica fan club magazine, So What? (which, readers, you can sign up to receive in all its tangible glory at metclub.com). It details my adventures and conversations over the four days I met the band and crew, sat in on each of the band's nightly pre-show rehearsals, walked out into Rod Laver Arena with the band at Lars' behest, watched the gigs from the sidelines, and, proudly, convinced Lars to come with me to Cherry Bar at 3am in the morning after their end of tour party. Plus so much more.

On the last night of the tour in Melbourne, before their very last Death Magnetic show, which had spanned 45 countries and two and a half years, I followed Lars into his pre-show physio room to chat on record. After previously watching every Metallica member personally meet and greet twenty or so fan club member winners (something they each do before every single show), we discussed the end of the band's touring cycle, the fans and what happens now.

(Question and answers that appear in the So What? article have been omitted).

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It's the end of two and a half years touring behind Death Magnetic. Have you learned from it?

I'm sure I will. [Once we're finished touring] I have a tendency to...first I get practical and then I get emotional. So right now, I have a list in my pocket of things to do today. You know, stack up on unused passes from the production office. Remember to give the crew guys their bonus cheques. Remember to thank the hardcore fans for travelling. Remember to pick my nose and whatever else. I'm sure that on the plane back tonight or in the next couple of days...it always gets a little more unreal. Like, a week later, when you get home and it's like 'Woah. I'm not going back out there for a while. I'm not going back out on that stage. Next time we go do something it will be [for a new record].'

So I think on a serious note, looking back on the last couple years, it's been such a positive experience.

That feeling must be within the band from a creative perspective as well.

Yeah, I'm talking within the band, within the relationship, with our record, with the tour, the gigs, how we're playing, how we feel - the whole thing. But the second we walk offstage tonight, the next chapter begins. There doesn't necessarily need to be a vacuum or lull or something that's a non-entity. You could say that the next record and the next phase starts when we say 'Goodnight' at the end of the set tonight.

Has playing the Death Magnetic songs in amongst your back catalogue made you understand the record in a different way?

I would say the main thing the last two years have done for Death Magnetic is made me appreciate it even more. And this is coming from a guy who has not always had a great relationship with [our] records once they're done. There's been a lot of questions, a lot of raised eyebrows, a lot of 'What were we thinking?'. And that has sometimes set in rather quickly.

Every record's always been a very compulsive, momentary, instinctive kind of thing. A very pure thing. But in the wake of that, three months later or six months later, it's always like...you sit there and go 'What the fuck were we thinking?'. But with Death Magnetic, which we finished about two and a half years ago, I can definitely tell you that we've never had a record that has been appreciated by members of the band - at least speaking for myself - for as long as Death Magnetic. I heard three or four songs in the car while I was home on the last break [from touring]; it still sounded amazing. I was listening to one of the songs earlier just to check on something that we have to play tonight, and it still sounds great. Two and a half years later. It just blows my head off. So I can absolutely tell you that there's no Metallica record that's stayed in such a positive light as Death Magnetic has for me. Which is a good thing. It also makes me a little wary about it. As we're sitting there thinking about the next record [laughs].

James [Hetfield0 told me he has 800 and something new riffs on his iTunes.

We'll see how it plays out. I look forward to getting back and creating, I look forward to just getting back and playing. I look forward to getting back to that side again. We started working on Death Magnetic five years ago this month. And we spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into that record, and it was certainly worth it,. But I don't take for granted that we can top it - I will set out to top it. I hope we can - but it's a motherfucker of a record. So we'll see how it plays out.

It must be encouraging in that, arguably, that record was celebrating your history. And it's been so well received, comparatively.

Oh yeah. The best thing about those songs, in a live situation, is how effortlessly they all slot in with all the older stuff.

There must be kids that are getting Death Magnetic first. And going back.

Sure, it's worked out rather well. I never expected it to work out quite that well. I think there's always been - sometimes been - a borderline elitist reluctance to embrace the new records from some fans. Because if you embrace the new records in some way, it's [somehow perceived] as a diss on the old stuff. Which I've never quite been able to understand. But this record has really been embraced by the fans, it's probably the most openly embraced Metallica record since the first four.

How have you enjoyed the last few days?

I've loved it. It's been really interesting seeing you up so close. It makes me feel different about it, small things. Like, seeing first hand how skilled Kirk [Hammett] is; seeing how you guys relate in the tuning room. It's interesting seeing Rob [Trujillo]'s presence, I wasn't expecting it to be so authorative.

Sure. He has a presence that's very pure. There's nothing contrived, there's nothing in the approach that's anything but pure. His vibe and presence has really made a remarkable difference [to Metallica]. And it's really difficult to say that without implying that Jason [Newsted, previous bassist] was not that. So it's not a diss on Jason. It's not a comment [on that], because [Jason] brought something else [to the band] that was precious.

But with Rob, his effortlessness and his approach to things really makes a difference with the overall energy. To me and James, he's a real stabilising force. Me and James have a very, very good relationship right now. And it feels like it's in a different place. But it's also a relationship that's the most volatile because it can derail the quickest, there's so much history. So many things that can trigger issues very quick. And Rob brings a real calming, stable energy to mine and James' relationship that is almost like a see-saw. [Rob's] a great balancing act in that dynamic. It's really made a remarkable difference in our inter-band dynamic over the last six to eight years.

Which creatively must be exciting. You're able to let your guard down a lot more when you have that level of understanding.

Yeah. He's a great sounding board. He just adds something, we're very lucky the way that all played out. 'Cause you just never know. Decisions are instinctive and then you've made them, you know what I mean? 'OK let's get THAT guy in the band'. And then you sit there and go 'OK, five years from now, how's it gonna work? How's it gonna work tomorrow?' You know what I mean?

The Rockers Reveal Details Of New Recording…

The Rockers Reveal Details Of New Recording…

Metallica fans listen up! The heavy rockers have revealed plans to work on a new project and are aiming to finish it after just two weeks!

According to Rolling Stone magazine, lead guitarist Kirk Hammet has said,

“It’s not really 100 per cent a Metallica record. It’s more a recording project than a bona fide Metallica. Whether or not we can pull it off in just two weeks remains to be seen.”

The metal giants have just finished their ‘World Magnetic’ tour, and their last album ‘Death Magnetic’ was in released back in 2008.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet last week,

“There’s a really good vibe in the band.. In the past, we would be fed up with Metallica whenever we returned home after a gigantic world tour, but this time it’s different.”

In the past the members of Metallica clashed both professionally and personally, as documented in the 2004 film ‘Some Kind Of Monster’. But Ulrich says that things are different now,

“We found solutions to the problems that we’ve had instead of letting internal squabbles destroy the band.”

The band has already released nine studio albums and three live albums. They’re expected to start their new project in May.

Let’s hope you can get it done in two weeks boys! Even if it seems ‘Stone Cold Crazy!’

In the meantime, check out the rock legends in the clip below..

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