My thoughts on Metallica's 40th Anniversary: At the end of the 2nd night Lars told the crowd that the first time the band played San Francisco in 1982 it was a couple of miles from Chase Center at The Stone. A couple of hours later at the After Show party, I reminded Lars that the first time I met him and the band was at that first show a couple of miles away from Chase Center at The Stone. We had this brief conversation while standing in the roof top bar of Chase Center, the newest skyline icon in San Francisco. It was a long fucking way from that dirty sidewalk in front of The Stone 39 years ago.
A couple of weeks before the shows I was contacted about being included in the video production for the 40th Anniversary shows. I'm not ashamed to say I got verklempt seeing some of the old photos taken by the much younger me projected on the ginormous arena rock video screens. I was told a couple were also used in a historical band timeline displayed on the wall backstage near the band's dressing room area. The production company even used an old photo of the much younger James and I air guitaring together at the Metallica Mansion circa 1983.
[Photo by Alex Matthews]
[Photo by Alex Matthews]
Amazing, right?!
Through all these years, Metallica has been a constant in my life but it's not something I've done on purpose. I listen to a lot of other music, but I still get drawn back into the band's sphere of influence via new people I meet or events like this past weekend's Anniversary. It feels like a reset button gets hit on this part of my life when it happens, which is a good thing.
Besides the band, I have to thank everyone who has worked in the Metallica organization over the years. They have always gone out of their way to send me swag or to include me in all of the shows, moments, and events that I've experienced over the band's history. This is shit I do not take for granted. This includes the time they gave me a sneak preview of newly restored audio from a damaged cassette found in Lars' basement. It was from a show where the band dedicated a song to me back in The Day (the recovered audio was included in the Ride The Lightning box set).
I still like a lot of their songs, both new and old. I think Moth Into Flames is one of their best songs ever. I still dislike some of their songs as well. I will never like Escape. It's still surreal for me to hear a Metallica song on the radio in the car, which is literally every time I turn on the radio... because Metallica, Zeppelin, U2, and the Stones seem to be the only bands "FM rock radio" plays now. At this point, haters will always hate, but I'd rather hear a Metallica song than most of the other programmed music that represents "rock radio" here in the 21st Century.
Anyway, 40 years and counting for a band who I first met via a cassette tape sent to me in the mail by a new friend in a faraway city. This was when I was a nerdy suburban teenager and finding this band and others like them gave me an identity. More importantly, finding this band gave me friends, many of whom I have now known for 40 years as well.
Cue "The Ecstasy of Gold".
