Metallica returned to SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show last Wednesday and performed remotely from its base of operations in San Francisco.
Lead singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo spoke candidly with Howard Stern about everything from drunken wrestling with Exodus and studio shenanigans with Ozzy Osbourne to the likelihood Metallica stays together until 2050.
The band also delivered renditions of three songs and in doing so became the first band to perform live for SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show listeners since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The band’s next lesson in contrast is “S&M2,” a San Francisco Symphony-enriched concert album arriving Aug. 28. Howard looked forward to the release, as he greatly enjoyed seeing Metallica share the stage with the New York Symphony in 1999, but he wondered if rehearsing with an orchestra was painstaking.
“Two rehearsals,” Kirk said. “They just sit down and play what’s in front of them, so there’s not a lot of rehearsal with the orchestra,” Lars said.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has made collaborating more difficult and in-person concerts downright impossible. It’s been a point of frustration with the band.
“I hate the part that we can’t just go out and tour. That sucks—not being able to reach our audience and having to cancel shows—that’s super disappointing and that just plain-out sucks,” Kirk told Howard.
He and the band are in their Bay Area headquarters doing their best to protect against COVID-19.
“When we were rehearsing last week for three or four days in here, I rehearsed all four days with my mask on the whole time,” Lars said. “We got tested practically every other day, something crazy,” James said.
“I think there’s maybe 25, 30 people here. All our great crew and everybody who helps out and makes Metallica happen,” Lars continued. “We feel safe and, you know, we got a bubble here, and it’s cool.”
The band got together not only to perform for the Stern Show but also to record a concert for drive-in movie theaters across America. “I guess I can let the cat out of the bag here. Yesterday, we recorded a special hour-and-forty-five-minute set that’s coming to [300 drive-ins],” Lars said. “It’s an experiment to see what other cool new ways we can connect and bring music to fans all over the country.”
“Selfishly, it’s really for us to get together and jam—because we miss jamming—and then hopefully bring some joy to people … and they can be safe in their car,” James added.
Check out clips and more of the interview at https://www.howardstern.com
