{"id":91863,"date":"2025-05-11T04:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T04:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/91863\/"},"modified":"2025-05-11T04:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T04:49:09","slug":"the-metallica-gig-that-turned-into-a-fistfight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/91863\/","title":{"rendered":"The Metallica gig that turned into a fistfight"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"James<\/p>\n

(Credits: Far Out \/ Kreepin Deth)<\/p>\n

Not every member of the group is mandated to get along with each other. Even though there are moments where things might not be going well, the professionals usually have enough to remember that they\u2019re getting paid and save all their hangups for when they\u2019re discussing the gig backstage. But Metallica<\/a> started off as a garage band in every sense of the word, and if they had issues, they were going to take care of them by wailing away at each other until they said their piece.<\/p>\n

That is, up until recently. Since Some Kind of Monster shined a spotlight on what the band\u2019s arguments could be like in the studio, everyone in the group has learned to be a bit more careful when talking about how a song should go. That tension could eat away at people after a while, but it also could be the reason why they come up with their greatest stuff as well.<\/p>\n

You only need to look at \u2018The Unforgiven<\/a>\u2019 to see that in action. The entire solo was worked out well in advance by Kirk Hammett, but the minute everyone said they hated it in the room, he created the solo heard on the record out of sheer frustration when everyone kept goading him. It certainly isn\u2019t the most healthy way for anyone to make a proper record, but it\u2019s easy to turn a blind eye when the results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

While Jason Newsted had had enough by the early 2000s, the real resentment that started unfolding was between Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. Both of them had helped turn Metallica into a brand, but since they were the only kids in their area who were interested in thrash metal, they became best friends almost by default, with Hetfield coming up with the riffs and seeing how long Ulrich could keep up with it.<\/p>\n

If they couldn\u2019t get noticed for their own material, though, the next best thing is to cover other people\u2019s songs and not say that they\u2019re covers. And while that did lead to them feeling guilty and repaying some of their favourite acts on albums like Garage Inc, they weren\u2019t exactly careful when putting together the setlist, and when things went awry, it didn\u2019t take long for Hetfield to turn on his bandmate.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI punched him onstage once\u2014probably our third gig ever. We agreed we were going to play \u2018Let It Loose\u2019 for our encore, and he went up there and started a different song, \u2018Killing Time\u2019, because it started with drums.\u201d<\/p>\n

James Hetfield<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

During one of their first shows, Hetfield remembered Ulrich starting the wrong song and eventually getting physical with him, saying<\/a>, \u201cHe can be a real ass at times, and pull attitudes. I punched him onstage once\u2014probably our third gig ever. We agreed we were going to play \u2018Let It Loose\u2019 for our encore, and he went up there and started a different song, \u2018Killing Time\u2019, because it started with drums. I turned back: \u2018You motherfucker!\u2019 I couldn\u2019t remember the lyrics, it was a complete failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though that tension eventually led to Hetfield leaving during the St Anger sessions, it\u2019s easy to see them as two sides of the same coin. Ulrich might be the more business-minded person trying to make Metallica one of the biggest forces in the world, but Hetfield is always more concerned with writing the most demented riff he can once he gets into the studio.<\/p>\n

But considering the therapy they got during the 2000s, there\u2019s a good chance they aren\u2019t hurling guitars at each other in the middle of the rehearsal space anymore. The tension might not get any easier to manage, but at least they have a better outlet than choosing violence first.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Related Topics<\/p>\n

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