It looks like I have yet another answer to look for in The Encyclopedia Of Metallica. I need an answer to this question. What the hell were they thinking covering Rare Earth and Garbage at the Bridge School Benefit?
Yesterday, at Neil Young’s annual concert for The Bridge School in San Francisco, California, Metallica took the stage for a rare acoustic set. The concert also featured Neil Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet, John Mayer, My Morning Jacket, Tegan & Sara and Regina Spektor, but most of the large crowd seemed to be their for Metallica.
Metallica fans were hoping for a treat, since the Benefit shows (the event is two days with all artist playing both yesterday and today) were the only live performances the band had scheduled all year. It could be a great chance for the band to unload some of their new songs or maybe rip into a rarely played classics.
Little did the die hard fans in attendance know what kind of treat they were in for. Metallica took the stage and took a seat to perform an all acoustic show. After the band was nice and comfortable on their stools, they started their set and quickly went into their first song, the Motown classic, I Just Want To Celebrate (RARE EARTH).
That right Metallica were playing Motown, as most of the crowds jaw’s dropped as they stood in disbelief. That was just the beginning, the band continued their eclectic set with curveball after curveball. Their eight song set featured five covers, including Rare Earth, Garbage, and Bob Seger and only three originals, one being from St. Anger.
When the show was over, most of the crowd was said to have left confused, frustrated and very disappointed by the band’s set list. The band has a new album expected to come out in February and this would have been a perfect time to give people a taste of the new songs. They didn’t even have to play new songs they could have just played some of their own songs and people would have been happier. The tickets for this concert went from $39 to $150 and they gave the fans a bunch of covers. HA HA HA, looks like Metallica have pissed off some more fans.
Speaking of the new album. Lars was recently interviewed by Examiner.com and gave an idea about the direction the new album is heading. He said the new album would be heavier yet more melodic than St. Anger.
He explained by saying, ”Whereas ‘St. Anger’ was an exercise in over-pummeling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the ’80s — long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic.” He also stated that the new songs longer with most of the intros being four or five minutes.
The band’s set list from the first night of the Bridge School Benefit was as follows.
1. I Just Want To Celebrate (Rare Earth)
2. Please Don’t Judas Me (Nazareth)
3. I’m Only Happy When It Rains (Garbage)
4. Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. All Within My Hands (a song from St. Anger)
7. Turn The Page (Bob Seger)
8. Nothing Else Matters
A fan in attendance recorded the show. Here are some of the performances.
I Just Want To Celebrate
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaNWOoxSY3A[/youtube]
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=worctaQdArE[/youtube]
Brothers In Arms
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc56PK2AK8w[/youtube]
Nothing Else Matters
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFzIEg5Fck[/youtube]
Thanks Blabbermouth.
Might be the first time I have ever heard a Metallica audience actually laughing at them while they play. Of course, I would be laughing at that horrid version of “Only Happy When It Rains” too.
One of the joys of my life is the garage band that lives around the corner. They practice every night. They’ve tried Master of Puppets and failed. But they keep on practicing…
It cures my blues sittin’ on the back porch, beer in hand, listening to some metallica while the sun goes down. Pity Lars can’t hear it….
Alrite lets get things straight. Metallica is THE GREATEST METAL BAND OF ALL TIME. For you to think that they suck means you have no idea what real music is, and probably don’t play an instrument, which means you have no idea how hard it is to do what they do. They are the most talented band ever, and every single member of that band excels at what he does. Get the new album. It’ll kick ass!!!
Dan – they USED To be the greatest metal band of all time. While I agree with you that they are terrific musicians, their talents have eroded, as has their once-keen sense of melody and song structure. It’s sad to say, but they never should have sued Napster or stopped drinking.
Actually Dan Metallica are a joke. Their new album will more than likely be a joke.
If you are going to try to tell me that their new music is good, then explain why they don’t play anything after the Black album in concert. Why? Because they even know it sucks.
Let me ask you this. If you were the bass player of the “greatest metal band ever”, why would you leave to perform in a shitty metal band and play small bars. The reason is because Jason Newstead was some dignity and actually respects metal music, unlike Metallica.
They are putting out alternative rock, which would be fine, if they weren’t Metallica. They have no dignity or respect for the music, their original fans, or themselves.
So Dan, maybe in a few years you will learn what real music actually is. I love Metal!!! But Metallica have fucking sucked for years. I think you might want to go look for some old Metallica on-line and steel some songs pre “And Justice For All”. Then tell me how the fuck a band that can play that, now puts out Cd’s in which they beat on pans.
You better go now, Mommy’s calling you. Dinner is ready.
If the 80′s version of Metallica saw what the band now, I bet they’d kick their asses for making gay albums
@ Alex – Damn right, but more importantly Cliff Burton would be kicking some serious ass. He would have never let this shit happen to the band. He would really kick the shit out of that fag Kirk Hammett, especially since it should have been him in the bed that Cliff died in during that crash.
Then I’m sure he would beat the shit out of Lars, just for being a cry baby bitch.
ok, so st. anger wasnt great, but the rest of their albums are great. and by the way eric, they still play about 6 or 7 songs from their newer albums at all of their concerts. I saw them , so i would know. this new album will get them back on track, and once again, they will be respected by anyone that has a clue about music. if only you people understood how hard it is to do what they do. i play guitar. kirk hammett is one of the best guitarists to live. im not saying that because he plays for metallica, im saying it because he is. and if you were lars, and people were stealing your music, im sure youd be pretty pissed off also. yeah, cliff burton was great, but he played bass guitar, its not even a lead instrument. thats why they can go through 3 different bassists and sound generally the same. wow, you people cant respect good, talented music. go listen to your red hot chili peppers gay music and shut up!
OK Dan, you’re showing your ignorance and I will not bother arguing with you any more. Almost every thing you say is wrong, but your 13, so you just don’t know any better. I’m not even really sure where the Chili Pepper reference comes from, but whatever.
Maybe you should visit sites that are more suited to kids. Have a nice day.
I have to agree with Dan on this one. Metallica is the greatest metal band, period!!! They are the reason for alot of the heavier music you hear today. Ask any of those bands, theyll say that Metallica is one of their biggest influences. Its time to appreciate real talent
Actually most of the heavier bands today will site Metallica as a major influence, but they will also site Black Sabbath. Without Black Sabbath, there would have been no Metallica. So therefore, Black Sabbath are actually the greatest heavy metal band of all time. They are actually responsible for creating the sound as you know it today.
I am not arguing that they are not one of the greatest metal bands of all time. I’m saying that they suck now. They haven’t released a worth while album since the Black Album. That album came out in 1991, that was 16 years ago. They at that time said in an interview that they would never change their sound, that they play the music they want and that their fans want to here. Then that album became a huge mainstream success.
After they made an ass load of money and were the biggest heavy metal band in the world, they got greedy. They wanted more and the only way to get that was to gain more fans. How did they decide to gain more fans? Lars said in an interview, that the band was going to broaden their sound so that more people would get the chance to hear them.
They basically became an alternative band. This allowed them more radio and MTV play, which intern became a sell out. This might have not been so bad, if they hadn’t said just a few years earlier that they would never change, that they play what they want and that they do it for their fans. So changing styles to get more fans, is a slap in the face of those that supported them when radio, MTV, and the trendy flavor of the month kids didn’t.
Also, I know plenty of people who have seen then in concert, I have read countless concert reviews, and seen many of the old set list and the very rarely play songs that were released after the Black Album. If they do, it is usually King Nothing, so Dan your comment is false.
I could go on and on how Dan was wrong. Cliff Burton being the same as every other bass player they ever had, come on. Is that a joke? He actually played solos, wrote songs and had a huge impact on the direction of the band. Kirk Hammet is one of the greatest guitarist ever. What? Does Dan work for Rolling Stone, because that sounds like some of the dumb shit that they print.
Then there is the ridiculous Chili Pepper comment. I guess he had no more false or ignorant facts to throw out, so he went for that big blow. I grew up listening to metal and Metallica, so I think I may have a little more insight on the band’s evolution from great to sell out pansies. I understand that Dan jumped on the band wagon late. He is one of the young kids, who was told Metallica is great and so he listened to their new music and went with what was pounded into his head.
So, if you want to have an intelligent discussion, I cool with that. But if you want to ramble on retarded false comments and child like opinions, then it’s pointless for me to waste my time responding to you.
And Jeff, I never knocked their talent. I’m not sure what happened to it, but they had great talent. I just don’t think that they should get a free pass for the horrible shit that they have been putting out. Just because you were once great, doesn’t mean that you can put out shitty music and still expect to be called great. It’s not like St. Anger was their first screw up. It was actually their third.
Thank for stopping by Jeff.
Actually Eric, alot of the things you said were wrong. First of all, Dan said Kirk is ONE of the best guitarists to live. Not the best. He is one of the best, no doubt. I’d have to say the best is either Hendrix or van halen, but thats another conversation. Also, Metallica plays about 5 of their newer songs at some of their shows-king Nothing, Aint My Bitch, Fuel, Hero Of the Day, and The Memory Remains. And Metallica also never said that they were never going to change their style of music, because they claim the new album about to be released is going to sound like their older stuff. Cliff Burton was great, but he didnt have as much of an influence on the band as Lars and James do. I’m not trying to dis Cliff, he was amazing, but not too many bassists have a huge influence on a band, because its a rhythm instrument. And another thing: tell me what band hasn’t changed their music style over the span of 27 years. Nobody!!! You know why, because people change what music style they like. Listen to anything Megadeth or Pantera writes now. It’s completely different than when they debuted. What I cant stand is when people act like they know what they’re talking about, so they make up false information to sound smart. Eric, you fall into that category.
You disgust me. You criticize like if you have the only truth, and the only truth you’re a bag of faggots. You’re like a person that I know that when I put “the unforgiven” the original version he says that that’s not music, just pure noise, and when i play the same song, but acoustic only (Without telling him) he says that that’s nice, is really enjoyable. So you’re like him… I know i won’t change your points of views, but you just like Dave Mustaine: idiots who refuses to change or to see beyond what “they think is right”… Im not really into Mustaine, but I know he did some “Hard Rock” songs too… and he was in a trash band… so what the fuck?? Give one person who can play so many different styles, have that immense energy and versatility, touching melodies and lyrics… Most of the fuckers around they can just play their genre, but if you get them away from that… they’re lost or they just sound like they are playing one of their own songs…
People is so square this days, and that’s most of the fuckers today sound the same and play the same shit.
I won’t be here reading this again cuz i stopped in this page by chance… If you want to discuss this any further, then send me an email.
Adios!