Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Metallica US Tour


saturn

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 54
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I went to a Dinosaur Jr gig at a pub at Byron Bay last month ('ken awesome btw) and had the regular old cheapo foam earplugs in, cos those boys have five full stacks dimed and drum's mic'd to the max even in small gigs, and it was pretty good ear protection and was like watching a live album if that makes sense - the white-noise distortion overtones and sizzle heavily reduced along with a portion of the volume. Every now and then I'd take the earplugs out to see how it was and after about 10 seconds I'd think 'that's gotta be doing me damage' and put em back in. The band seem to use the same things. What would be great would be 'tuneable' plugs that you could adjust the input volume as I would have been OK with a bit more volume. If they make such things I'd buy them if I was a regular loud gig attendee, or for band rehearsals would be cool too.

 

Cody - to be fair the new one has a few of the best songs they've done since MOP in my opinion.

(TooL fans would say Metallica are prolific)

 

I use Eargasm plugs, yea pretty stupid name but they work great and they were under $25USD.

 

I place them in the cusp of my ear for mild attenuation when the volume is not too high, this eliminates that hissing that lets you know your ears are taken a beating.

 

Then for insane volumes I do plug then into my ear canals to suit the situation. I went to see Slayer and the volume at the venue was unreal, amazingly the sound had little to no distortion but you could feel the air of the speakers. I put my plugs as far as they would go and it is like you say, it becomes a pleasant experience, like listening to a live album.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of negative comments on this thread. I think when a band achieves the level of popularity that Metallica have, that always breeds contempt with some people. I may be the only person here who actually loves both early and later Metallica, except for St. Anger which really did suck. I also agree the film 'Some Kind of Monster' was awful and they did come off looking like a bunch of whining, spoilt idiots, but I listen to their music and don't much pay too much attention to them as people. I thought Death Magnetic was great, but haven't listened to the new one yet. I do find it amusing that Metallica have only produced 10 albums in 34 years. That just seems lazy to me.

 

I am a Metallica fan from the beginning, from the first album. I do like the lighter years but not as much by far. I like some experimental stuff they did like "Low Man's Lyric" among others. St. Anger is awful other than "Shoot Me Again"

 

But you have to understand that Metallica is the Apple of Discord and there are fans straight up furious with them and they cannot let go after more than 25 years since the black album came out, they will just not let go. They liked Metallica for 8 years assuming they were not the wagon-jumpers that discovered Metallica after Master of Puppets and they have not liked the band for 3 times as long. To their dismay Metallica is the only metal band (and maybe Maiden) that can fill arenas by themselves and have and ungodly number of followers.

 

To me it has become normal to have a few pisser/moaners every time the Metallica name is invoked, it's like a call to them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If that's a true quote, I now respect Lars more than ever.

 

It is. It was in Rolling Stone, long time ago.

 

How 'bout this one, my favorite:

 

"We will never...(pause for effect)...(italics for emphasis)ever...make...(pause again)...a video." Lars Ulrich

 

In the olden days he used to travel ahead of the band by himself, did all the press, said all the dumb things. I can't remember all the gems back when they were "legit", before whatever gave us One. Not ever a big fan, just remember their seemingly constant fight with themselves over being a pop band, something they truly seemed to hate becoming as they became one. Sucks to get that paycheck I bet.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What you perceive as negative comments are called opinions. If you love and adore all things Metallica have put out then that is what you like and I can not dispute your opinion. That is why it is an opinion and not a fact. It is like when I talk to my wife and she asks me a question and then does not like the answer she gets. Well then don't asked me the question. This is a forum and this section of it is for any topic to be discussed. A comment was made in an earlier post that I don't like anything, which is untrue. I think that most bands start out and have a hunger for success and that is when they do their best work and then they run out of ideas and rest on their laurels. I will even admit that about bands I like. Some people may agree with me and some people may disagree. I happen to think Metallica have not made a decent album since Justice. Which is my opinion.

 

There I am now off the Soapbox. Sorry you had to listen.

 

Ha! No problem, of course you are entitled to your opinions and that's fine. I just find it interesting that a lot of Metallica fans take things so seriously with statements like 'Cliff Burton would be rolling in his grave', 'only the first 3 albums are proper Metallica records' and so on. If Metallica had stayed the same there would be critics saying 'they always sound the same', if they change people say 'they sold out'. I guess a lot of Hetfield and Ulrich's early comments didn't help with this and they themselves took everything too seriously.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a Metallica fan from the beginning, from the first album. I do like the lighter years but not as much by far. I like some experimental stuff they did like "Low Man's Lyric" among others. St. Anger is awful other than "Shoot Me Again"

 

But you have to understand that Metallica is the Apple of Discord and there are fans straight up furious with them and they cannot let go after more than 25 years since the black album came out, they will just not let go. They liked Metallica for 8 years assuming they were not the wagon-jumpers that discovered Metallica after Master of Puppets and they have not liked the band for 3 times as long. To their dismay Metallica is the only metal band (and maybe Maiden) that can fill arenas by themselves and have and ungodly number of followers.

 

To me it has become normal to have a few pisser/moaners every time the Metallica name is invoked, it's like a call to them.

 

I totally understand all this, but I think some of those people need to let go. They are just a band and if they disappoint their fans then those fans always have the choice not to listen to them anymore. Like many, I do think that their first 3 to 4 records were their best, with MOP being the highpoint of their career, but I also appreciate the black album, Load & Reload for what they were and enjoy them too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just like good songs. Metallica could put out an all-"Mama said"-type-songs record, and I'd be fine with it, if the songwriting was good. I may be a pisser/moaner, but it's not because I demand they sound like they did in 1982... It's because I think the songs, objectively, are... you know.

 

But I'll give them this: "No leaf clover" was a great song.

 

Didn't mind the SKOM movie - it's pure guesswork since I don't know how serious Hetfield's drinking was at the time, but an occasional bender, does that require rehab? He went on a 200-day bender in 1989 called "the Justice tour"!

 

I think the movie was a study in what happens when you're very rich and run into problems - a lot of very expensive services offered (rehab, in-house counsellor, and so on), or even pushed. And, of course, if you're making people money, those people will shell out for fear of losing their investment.

 

He had issues he needed to deal with, for the band to go on. But - this is my impression - a lot of people took advantage and made a lot of money in the process.

 

Don't get me wrong - I see him in interviews, and he seems happier and healthier than ever. Which is great.

 

But what he needs now is a paid "no-man". Someone who could've told him, nope, nowhere near good enough. Or, in the words of Lars' dad, "I would erase that" ;)

 

I'm no cork-sniffing Metallisnob. I just have this feeling that the combination of having their attentions elsewhere with kids and families, plus a lot of yes-men around, has not been good for their music.

 

Just my two cents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a music fan and when a group or any performer puts out junk I am not afraid to say so. Just because you are an Uber Metallica fan does not mean you need to slobber all over everything do just to say you are a fan. Cone on even hard core 'Tallica fand loath St. Anger.

 

You quoted me but your answer is as if you didn't read my post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm no cork-sniffing Metallisnob. I just have this feeling that the combination of having their attentions elsewhere with kids and families, plus a lot of yes-men around, has not been good for their music.

 

Just my two cents.

 

I don't think anybody was accusing you of being a cork-sniffing Metallisnob, I mean if a 15-minute version of Seek and Destroy bothered you in 1993 and you still remember, that's a dead giveaway. I think you were supposed to enjoy that song.

 

Regarding their music, I think the success of the black album almost killed that band, I mean it was too much. They understood the Thrash Metal era would come to an end soon and they went on a different direction. and they were right, thrash metal album sales plummeted in the early 90's.

 

I agree with you that they surrounded themselves with yes-men, I mean they had preview parties listening to St. Anger and the people they brought in were like "hell yeah" that's ridiculous. I actually laughed when I heard St. Anger the first time, like a genuine loud WTF kind of laugh.

 

Also, you have to understand that these guys were part of a movement they transcended, like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard transcended the NWOBHM.

 

I do not car much the lighter years of Metallica except for selected songs, because there are some great songs there in those albums.

 

Out of the bands of that era Megadeth is the one that "sold out" first IMO. The first record is brutal and then they became polished, had videos on MTV and mixed hard rock songs (rather than thrash) in their albums, they did on many albums and by Countdown to Extinction they sound softer to me but because they are consistent by their own standards they do not get enough crap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is. It was in Rolling Stone, long time ago.

 

How 'bout this one, my favorite:

 

"We will never...(pause for effect)...(italics for emphasis)ever...make...(pause again)...a video." Lars Ulrich

 

In the olden days he used to travel ahead of the band by himself, did all the press, said all the dumb things. I can't remember all the gems back when they were "legit", before whatever gave us One. Not ever a big fan, just remember their seemingly constant fight with themselves over being a pop band, something they truly seemed to hate becoming as they became one. Sucks to get that paycheck I bet.

 

rct

 

It never bothered me that they made a video despite what they said. I wanted them to make videos at the time.

 

Curious fact: There is an apology note from Lars behind "Cliff'em All" VHS tape, that's the first "video" they made, not "One" like most people think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It never bothered me that they made a video despite what they said. I wanted them to make videos at the time.

 

Curious fact: There is an apology note from Lars behind "Cliff'em All" VHS tape, that's the first "video" they made, not "One" like most people think.

 

I remember being only mildly annoyed that anyone in the business at that time would say such a dumb thing. I was glad to see them in videos, it was the only exposure to them I got.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it was said in the context of "we can make it on our own terms without radio or TV play" at the time Megadeth had about 3 videos on MTV.

 

But then Cliff Burton died and there was so little footage of Metallica that they had to ask fans to send in their recorded stuff to supplement the material and put together that "tribute" to Cliff.

 

To me it was a weird thing that Thrash metal bands became popular. Friends that did not like the genre started asking to borrow my records.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me it was a weird thing that Thrash metal bands became popular. Friends that did not like the genre started asking to borrow my records.

 

RUN

TO

THE

HIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLS

 

[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

 

I wouldn't know thrash from any other metal.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Riffster: I didn't feel you were accusing me of anything. No sweat.

 

I agree with a lot of what you just said, especially the part about how they sensed the end of thrash metal (in commercial terms). Lars is an absolutely brilliant albeit unoffical manager/Napoleon, and he's been a PR wiz since day one. He always knew where the business was headed, probably long before Q-Prime did.

 

Agree to disagree on Megadeth. I understand your reasoning, but... Man. "Youthanasia". I loved the melodies of "Countdown" - "This was my life"! - but they perfected them on "Youthanasia". I loved their thrashier early stuff too, but I thought them "going commercial " or whatever was totally worth it.

 

I recommend all y'all to check out "Youthanasia". "Addicted to chaos", "I thought I knew it all" and "A tout le Monde" are good places to start. Even if you're not into metal. I've converted Beatles fans twice my age with those three songs :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Napster was illegal file sharing back then, streaming is a different service altogether, streaming came much later.

 

Lars was right though, Napster essentially taught a new generation (and some old) that you did not have to pay for music. But the change was coming.

 

Realities are different for each one of us, *I* pay for all my music and do not use any streaming service, I simply buy it to get the format I want. I actually have zero use for Amazon MP3 as they use variable bit rate and sound like sh!t (you can call me a snob). That was another issue with Napster, lots of songs sounded like crap because the source was crap, low bit rates, buffering blips, poorly recorded versions, cut off, etc.

 

There are new bands that I actually buy both vinyl and CD to support them, I also got to their shows. If the LP comes with the MP3 I skip buying the CD. This year LP sales topped MP3 sales but that's on a dollar basis, cause they stick it to you on LP prices.

 

The real reality is that now concert tickets cost a fortune, so maybe you are not paying for CDs or LPs but if you attend concerts you are paying the price. Example, I saw Metallica, Guns n' Roses and Faith No More for $27.50 in 1992, I recently paid $188 for a Metallica ticket. And I don't have to tell you what tickets to see GnR cost this last time around.

 

I remember when there were bands that thought Napster was great for them because it got their music out there for free and got them exposure, well, name one successful band discovered through Napster.

 

I go to a lot of small shows from new and old bands, $10-$15-$20 to get in, I call it affordable rock n roll.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FZ: when he took down Napster (which, like Riffster points out, wasn't legal streaming), he was already hugely successful. I was thinking more of how he got to that point.

 

I think he kind of unwittingly turned into a poster boy for record companies. Like Riffster says, a change was... I dunno if it was COMING, but it had to come, and the record companies could now deflect some blows while legal streaming was developed.

 

Which was essentially damage control, but the only practical alternative. The genie's out of the bottle.

 

I don't illegally download music, or movies, or whatever (I am, however, a diligent jaywalker) so I like legal streaming, myself. Sure, less muso millionaires means less studio time, but "studio time" is cheap these days. So there are more people making more music, which is great.

 

On the other hand, you just can't compare digital recording to analog when it comes to guitar.

 

I think the Internet Age isn't old enough for us to come to any conclusions just yet, but it's always interesting to hear people's opinions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

OK. Back to the OP. [biggrin]

 

Tour kicks off tonight at M&T (Ravens) Stadium! As soon as my buddy arrives to my house, we're heading to the city to get primed. Expect it to be a great show with Volbeat amd AX7 opening. [thumbup]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK. Back to the OP. [biggrin]

 

Tour kicks off tonight at M&T (Ravens) Stadium! As soon as my buddy arrives to my house, we're heading to the city to get primed. Expect it to be a great show with Volbeat amd AX7 opening. [thumbup]

 

Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, right across from the mall where Santa sits and they have the ice rink.

3rd floor? 4th maybe. Watertable Lounge. And Watertable if you feel like dinner. One of our favorite places over the decades, we go there for Thanksgiving some years and we go for the American Craft Show up the street at the convention center in February usually.

 

I hope the concert is good.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure they won't disappoint. Like I said, saw them in '93, which is the only time I've seen a stadium gig come, to think of it, and wasn't disappointed. Hetfield made it feel like a club gig, only with 19970 more people in the club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure they won't disappoint. Like I said, saw them in '93, which is the only time I've seen a stadium gig come, to think of it, and wasn't disappointed. Hetfield made it feel like a club gig, only with 19970 more people in the club.

 

I have to confess that when the katz were kittenz I would tell them what to do, which they didn't, by singing it like Hetfield. "DO NOTAAHHH...BE ONAAAHHH...THE COOOUUUNNNNTTTEEEEERRRSSSSAAAHHH".

 

And then I'd giggle like a tool, Mrs would stomp off, and the kittens would go on about doing whatever they were doing that they weren't allowed to be doing but were actually allowed to be doing because we've rarely actually told them no.

 

Occasionally in his dotage I sing like Hetfield at Ichabod and he just looks at me like I'm stupid.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a great show. Big spectacle, with video, lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and fireworks. Their sound was great. Kirk even played a LP without EMG's on "Fade To Black" and the beginning of "Nothing Else Matters". They were well worth the admission.

 

We tailgated and hung out at Pickle's Pub too long and missed Volbeat. #-o Avenged Sevenfold was OK, but their sound was kinda screwy. Apparently DJ Master somebody from Beastie Boys was doing his thing between sets, but I didn't pay him much attention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saturn: missing Volbeat sounds wonderful. Every single word the guy sings sounds like he's having an orgasm, and the guy from Creed is somehow involved

 

[biggrin]

 

That's pretty funny. I actually like them, though. Another friend of mine who was also at the show, told me that Volbeat sounded really good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...