Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The songs “For Those About To Rock” by AC/DC and “Nice Boys” by Rose Tattoo were performed by Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett during Metallica‘s November 15 performance at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia. As reported by blabbermouth.net, during the band’s recent tours, “For Those About To Rock” and “Nice Boys” were part of the entertaining and unique feature that Metallica added to its performances. Hammett and Trujillo have been covering songs from some of their musical heroes at each stop, frequently selecting songs that are very different from the band’s typical metal sound. The band’s setlists refer to these as “doodles,” which are simplified versions consisting solely of guitar and bass, occasionally accompanied by Trujillo’s vocals.
Metallica, one of the biggest-selling acts in American history, was born on October 28, 1981, when drummer Lars Ulrich and guitar player/singer James Hetfield got together via Ulrich’s LA Recycler newspaper ad. Soon, the two recruited Hetfield’s friend and housemate Ron McGovney to play bass, Dave Mustaine to play lead guitar, and they took the name Metallica after a suggestion from Bay Area metal scene friend Ron Quintana. Their ascent was to be relatively quick, driven by sheer work-rate, effort, and a rare musical chemistry. After hitting the opener’s circuit in LA (where they supported the likes of Saxon), they recorded their first-ever demo, “No Life ‘Til Leather”. The tape-trading circuit went wild for it, and after repeatedly well-received shows in the Bay Area, Metallica found themselves relocating there after convincing bassist Cliff Burton to leave his band Trauma and replace McGovney.
East Coast metal merchant Jon Zazula pitched the band on an album deal with his indie label Megaforce Records, and in 1983, found them traveling to New York in a U-Haul to record their first album. Shortly after arriving in New York in April 1983, Mustaine was replaced by Exodus shredder Kirk Hammett, and the boys hit the studio for the first time. The resulting debut album, “Kill ‘Em All”, exploded onto the scene later that year, brandishing punk-encrusted, crunchy metal riffery, the likes of “The Four Horsemen,” “Whiplash,” and “Seek & Destroy” that were hailed as instant classics.
