Metallica was such an odd group of people to be in a band together that it took a few goes to get right, and even then tragedy sometimes forced their hand. Strangest of all was the uneasy partnership at the band’s core, the one between intense, bottle-it-up frontman James Hetfield and breezy, let-it-all-out drummer Lars Ulrich.
They first met after Ulrich, fresh from seeing his dream of becoming a tennis pro fade away, placed an ad in the local paper looking for bandmates. He reminisced to Classic Rock about his first impressions of the singer. “We instantly connected over music,” he said. “He freaked out about my record collection and seeing all that stuff from England, and I didn’t know that much about the Aerosmiths of this world. We filled each other’s voids right there.”
Ulrich remembers the young Hetfield as an extremely shy presence around people. “We were a perfect match because I thought that I could help pull some of that stuff out of him,” Ulrich told Classic Rock. “He made up for some of my lack of talent. It was a yin and yang kind of thing. I felt it from the get-go.”
Talking about the group’s formative years, Hetfield once described Ulrich as being on a different planet to his bandmates, declaring, “We ate McDonald’s, he ate herring,” but the drummer says he’d already spent a large amount of time in the States and wasn’t the, umm, fish out of water that the singer makes him out to be. “Obviously there were cultural differences, but I was in America four four-to-six weeks out of every year when I was growing up,” he countered. “Being around McDonald’s or 39 channels on the television wasn’t new to me. I didn’t come over with a Danish flag going, “Come on everybody, let’s eat herring!”
Reflecting on their relationship now and how it’s endured over four decades, Ulrich thinks that he sees a side to Hetfield that others rarely get to witness. “He’s much sweeter and more vulnerable than people think he is,” opined the drummer. “I always felt he was a vey gentle soul and a very loving guy.”
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Niall Doherty is a writer for The Guardian, Variety and Classic Rock, and co-runs the music Substack letter The New Cue with fellow former editors of Q magazine Ted Kessler and Chris Catchpole. Niall has written for NME, X-Ray Magazine and XFM Online and interviewed some of music’s biggest stars, including Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, St Vincent, The 1975, Depeche Mode, Radiohead and many more.
Corey Taylor has opened up about the difficulties he experienced as a parent while working as a touring musician, and the strain his job put about his relationship with his son, Griffin.
Noting how his earlier bond with his son was more strained due to the “toxic” complexities of his previous romantic relationship, Taylor muses over how Griffin fronting his own metal band, Vended, has now brought them closer together.
During an appearance on the Battleline podcast, the Slipknot frontman explains (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “My son, I didn’t have to help him with anything, but he’s out on the road with his band, and they’re killing it. And in a way that’s brought he and I even closer, man, ’cause now he really, really gets it and we talk now more than we ever have, which, to me, it’s beautiful.”
Speculating over what might have added a strain onto his relationship with his son, Taylor continues, “There were definitely a couple of years where it was difficult. And part of that can just be human nature; part of that can be the fact that I was gone for giant chunks of his [early life]. It also didn’t help that the relationship I was in before my marriage now was very toxic; it was very hard on him. And in a lot of ways he blamed me, which he has every right to, because at the time I didn’t realise how bad it was.”
Although he notes how him and Griffin had “always been tight”, and that they share a “a very, very special bond”, the vocalist reveals how each time he had to leave to embark on a new tour, on returning home, he had to “relearn” who his son was “cause every time I’d come back, he was different”.
Speaking of how his relationship with his son changed once he got older, he adds: “There was definitely a push back and forth, because he was starting to kind of come into his own. And between the anger that he had for missing so much and the anger [from] the previous issues and the anxiety that kind of had sprung up in his life, because of my Midwestern way of being a father, which is to raise your voice and, ‘It doesn’t matter why. I want you to…’ — all of that shit. It was tough.
“So we butted heads for a few years, man. And then one year, everything just kind of clicked, man, and we both looked at each other in a very different way and we were able to really kind of reconcile. Not that it was ever really bad, but it was weird enough that I really felt like, I was, like, ‘Man, I’m gonna lose him.'”
Of what he has taken away from his experience of parenting, Taylor concludes: “You never give up. It takes being brutally honest with yourself, going, ‘I made mistakes.’ You love to think that you were the perfect father, you love to think that you were just doing it for their own good, and sometimes, guess what? Those universal ways of parenting didn’t always work.
“And for me, realising that maybe I contributed to some of his anxiety hurt. So I had to relearn how to be a parent, man. I had to relearn how to talk to my kid. And then I realized that he’s not a baby anymore, man. He’s gonna be 21 this year. It’s actually been easier for me to talk to him as an adult than it was when he was younger because I had no skillset as a father like that.”
Listen to the full podcast episode below:
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Liz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.
In a moment that has punk enthusiasts and rock ‘n’ roll fans on the edge of their seats, the historic black leather Schott motorcycle jacket worn by punk pioneers Dee Dee Ramone and CJ Ramone is set to go under the hammer by Boston-based RR Auction.
This iconic garment, synonymous with the rebellious spirit of the Ramones, serves as a time capsule of punk rock history. Donned on stage for an impressive 11-year stretch, this jacket witnessed the pulsating energy of the Ramones’ unforgettable performances.
Dee Dee Ramone, the bassist known for his untamed presence, first acquired the jacket in 1985, and it quickly became his battle armor for Ramones concerts. From the explosive riffs of “Blitzkrieg Bop” to the wild intensity of “I Wanna Be Sedated,” this jacket bore witness to the Ramones’ trailblazing sonic onslaughts. With Dee Dee’s final show in July 1989, the jacket found itself enshrined in the band’s cherished wardrobe touring case, awaiting its next chapter.
Enter CJ Ramone, who stepped into the Ramones’ formidable lineage as their new bassist. Embracing the legacy with unparalleled passion, CJ inherited the mantle of the leather jacket. As he donned this sacred punk artifact during his inaugural Ramones live performance, it was clear that a new chapter in punk rock history was unfolding. Tour after tour, CJ channeled the essence of the Ramones through this very jacket, capturing the raw power and frenetic spirit that defined the band’s unrivaled musical legacy.
Adorned with the autographs of both Dee Dee and CJ, this leather jacket embodies the punk rock ethos, with its snap-down lapels, shoulder epaulets, zippered sleeve cuffs, and side pockets. The U.S. Air Force cap insignia on the right lapel and the U.S. Army captain rank pins on the epaulets, added by CJ Ramone himself, elevate this historic artifact to an emblem of punk rock defiance.
Renowned artist Andy [Armstrong] Gore, who now serves as the consignor of this remarkable piece, acquired the jacket directly from CJ Ramone upon the band’s retirement. The cherished artifact comes with an impeccable letter of provenance, in which Gore shares the tale of his unexpected acquisition. When the Ramones bid farewell to the stage, Gore mustered the courage to inquire if CJ would part with the iconic jacket. To his astonishment, CJ gifted him this legendary piece of punk history, asking only for a few screen-printed t-shirts for his new band, ‘Los Gusanos.’ A priceless exchange that solidified the jacket’s journey into the hands of a true devotee.
As the leather jacket embarks on its next chapter, anticipation builds among collectors and music enthusiasts alike. This transcendent artifact represents more than just a garment—it’s a portal into the maelstrom of punk rock’s golden era. With a starting bid of $5,000, the auction promises to be a battleground for those seeking to own a tangible piece of the Ramones’ unparalleled legacy.
Head to rrauction.com for more details and to place a bid.
Hot off the heels of the biggest North American stadium tour of 2022 with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, the world’s most iconic and celebrated rock legends Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe continue their 2023 co-headline The World Tour with the announcement of three exclusive Australian dates.
Produced by Live Nation and presented by Triple M, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard will bring their electrifying stage shows to Australia, commencing with Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on November 8, Giants Stadium Sydney on November 11, and Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on November 14.
The artists’ exclusive, 72-hour ticket pre-sale commences on Friday, June 2 – Brisbane and Melbourne kicking off at 9 AM, and Sydney at 10 AM.
Vodafone customers can secure tickets during a 48 hour pre-sale commencing Monday, June 5 – Brisbane and Melbourne at 10 AM and Sydney at 11 AM.
The Live Nation pre-sale commences on Wednesday, June 7 – Brisbane and Melbourne at 11 a AM, running until 10 AM on Thursday June 8, and Sydney from 12 PM until 11 AM on Thursday June 8.
General public tickets go on sale on Thursday, June 8 – Brisbane and Melbourne from 11 AM and Sydney from 12 PM. ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL.
“After getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in Australia!” said Joe Elliott of Def Leppard.
“We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America and we truly can’t wait to continue taking the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing Australian dates set for you!” Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.
Australian dates:
November 8 – Brisbane – Suncorp Stadium 11 – Sydney – Giants Stadium 14 – Melbourne – Marvel Stadium
Handwritten notes by Queen frontman Freddie Mercury suggest that the legendary singer toyed with calling the band’s classic hit “Mongolian Rhapsody” rather than “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The revelation comes as many of Mercury’s former possessions are set to go up for auction. Mary Austin, Freddie’s longtime friend and companion, has decided to sell several of the items she inherited from the Queen singer. Among them are early lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The notes were hand-scribbled onto a notepad for British Midland Airways, an airline that began in 1964 and lasted until its acquisition by British Airways in 2012. Mercury appears to have been testing out various lyrics for his song idea. One page features an assortment of phrases, including “fandango,” “Figaro,” “thunderbolts and lighting” and “belladonna.”
Still, it’s the word “Mongolian” crossed out and replaced by “Bohemian” that has grabbed people’s attention. The New York Times spoke to several Queen historians who had never before heard of the alternative title. They also weren’t surprised.
Watch Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Video
Mark Blake, author of Is This the Real Life?: The Untold Story of Queen, noted the band often “had joke titles for things.” Jim Jenkins, one of Queen’s official biographers, admitted he’d never heard of “Mongolian Rhapsody” but added that Mercury “never liked to explain” his lyrics or titles.
Released in 1975, “Bohemian Rhapsody” would become one of Queen’s defining songs, a sprawling operatic track that remains one of the most famous in rock history. Unsurprisingly, Mercury’s early drafts of the song are expected to fetch a high price when they come to auction in September. The notes are estimated to be worth $1.5 million.
The Best Song From Every Queen Album
A thread runs through it all: a hard-won sense of individuality. Queen were a band like no other.
Metallica have shared more footage from their concert at Stade de France in Paris, France, on May 19. Professionally-filmed video of the band performing the Load album track, “King Nothing”, joins the previously posted clip for the 72 Seasons album track, “If Darkness Had A Son”. Watch both below:
Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, Metallica’s M72 world tour sees the band in a complete 360 performance playing two nights in every city it visits – with each No Repeat Weekend featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. Up next, Metallica’s M72 World Tour will be making its way to Paris, Hamburg, and Gothenburg before proceeding to North America.
Metallica’s complete 2023 / 2024 tour schedule can be found here.
Fans can also now access the M72 World Tour Interactive Map and discover pop-up shops, film screenings, Q&A sessions and everything Metallica happening in each stop on the tour, here.
A portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to the band’s All Within My Hands foundation. Founded in 2017, AWMH’s efforts to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band have raised nearly $13 million – providing $5.9 million in grants to career and technical education programs in the US, over $2.5 million to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.2 million to disaster relief efforts worldwide.
For further information on the tour, enhanced experiences and more, head here.
Multi-platinum hard rock icons, Extreme, have been steadily building the anticipation for their much-awaited new album SIX – due June 9 via earMUSIC – with three previously released heavy-hitting rock singles (“Rise,” “Banshee” and “#Rebel”).
The band have today (May 31) revealed a fourth single, “Other Side Of The Rainbow”, which shows off their more intimate side in the vein of previous singles such as the RIAA gold-certified, Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit “More Than Words,” “Hole Hearted,” and “Seven Sundays”.
“Other Side Of The Rainbow” is one of Extreme’s most soulful journeys, taking listeners into the depths of the human heart. Stream/download it here. Watch the “Other Side Of The Rainbow” music video below.
“Every once in a while, we’ll harness some kind of magic, and I think we did on this one,” says frontman Gary Cherone. “It’s a universal theme. It’s about restoring someone’s faith in love… we feel that it’s the perfect marriage of lyrics and melody.”
Citing Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, and Neil Schon as particular influences, Extreme co-founder and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt asks, “How do you play a blistering solo, making it feel like a rainbow?” He goes on to share, “It’s a groove we’ve never done acoustically. It’s got my favorite guitar solo it’s an up-tempo, moving song.”
On SIX, Extreme swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. For the recording of the Bettencourt-produced 12-track album, the members buckled down at his home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that defined their seminal output with a 21st century twist.
This dynamic affirms the iconic Boston quartet as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture. They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, SIX.
“Rise” “#Rebel” “Banshee” “Other Side of the Rainbow” “Small Town Beautiful” “The Mask” “Thicker Than Blood” “Save Me” “Hurricane” “X Out” “Beautiful Girls” “Here’s To The Losers”
“Banshee” video:
“#Rebel” video:
“Rise” video:
Trailer:
Extreme’s headlining “Thicker Than Blood” world tour kicks off in the US on August 2, followed by stops in Australia and Japan in September and has already sold-out dates in cities including Detroit, Hampton Beach, Tokyo and Yokohama. The band recently announced an additional jaunt beginning November 27 in Newcastle, UK and wrapping December 16 in Milan, IT.
Special guests Living Colour (who will also be supporting Extreme on their US and Australian shows) will appear on the UK leg and The Last Internationale will appear across Europe. Tickets at extreme-band.com.
Extreme have remained one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups, having sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and they regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Extreme’s new album, SIX has seen unprecedented success following the release of three evocative hit singles and videos: “Rise,” “Banshee” and “#Rebel.”
Tour dates:
June 2 – Sao Paul, BR – Best of Blues and Rock Festival
August 2 – Portland, ME – State Theatre # 3 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom # 5 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner # 6 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount # 8 – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center # 10 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom # 11 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater # 12 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theater # 14 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall # 15 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater # 17 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Live # 18 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre # 19 – Cedar Rapids, IA – The Paramount # 21 – Denver, CO – The Ogden # 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center # 24 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues # 26 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency # 28 – Portland, OR – TBD # 29 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox #
September 6 – Perth, AU – Regal Theatre # 8 – Adelaide, AU – Hindley Street Music Hall # 10 – Melbourne, AU – Forum # 12 – Sydney, AU – Enmore Theatre # 13 – Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall # 17 – Sendai, JP – Sendai Gigs 19 – Yokohama, JP – KT Zepp Yokohama 21 – Tokyo, JP – Hitomi Memorial Hall 25 – Nagoya, JP – Shimin Kaikan Hall 26 – Osaka, JP – Zepp Namba
November 27 – Newcastle, UK – O2 City Hall # 28 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy # 30 – Manchester, UK – O2 Academy #
December 1 – Wolverhampton, UK – Civic Hall # 3 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy # 4 – London, UK – O2 Forum # 8 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7 Konzertfabrik * 10 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys * 11 – Cologne, Germany – Live Music Hall * 12 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg Max * 14 – Antwerp, Belgium – Trix * 16 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz *
# with Living Colour * with The Last Internationale
Pantera performed at the Metalhead Meeting at Romexpo in Bucharest, Romania on May 27. You can now watch fan-filmed footage of the full show, shot from the front row.
Setlist:
“A New Level” “Mouth For War” “Strength Beyond Strength” “Becoming” “I’m Broken” “Suicide Note Pt. II” “5 Minutes Alone” “This Love” “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit” “Fucking Hostile” “Planet Caravan” (Black Sabbath cover) “Walk” “Hollow” “Cowboys From Hell”
Pantera’s next show is May 30 in Budapest, Hungary at Barba Negra, and it’s sold out! To view their complete tour schedule, visit this location.
Professor Reggie Almeida of the Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Spring Hill, TN acts as trainer for Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and co. while on the road. He has shared a new vlog via his ChokeRoll YouTube channel, featuring behind the scenes footage from Megadeth’s appearances at Knotfest Australia – March 24 in Melbourne, March 25 in Sydney, and March 26 in Brisbane.
A message states: “A short version of what I did in Australia with Megadeth, worked out with Dave, and of course backstage, concerts etc.”
Megadeth’s upcoming Crush The World Tour dates are as follows:
June 24 – Tampa, FL
July 16 – Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration Festival 23 – Katowice, Poland – Spodek 26 – Tallinn, Estonia – Tallinn Song Festival Grounds 28 – Oulu, Finland – Qstock 2023 29 – Kuopio, Finland – Kuopiorock 31 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet
August 2 – Skanderborg – Smukfest 4 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air 6 – Lokeren, Belgium – Lokerse Feesten 13 – Walton-On-Trent, UK – Bloodstock Open Air 16 – Dinkelsbuhl, Germany – Summer Breeze Open Ai 17 – Pardubice, Czechia – Enteria Arena 19 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Dynamo Metal Fest 22 – Paris, France – L’Olympia 25 – Aarburg, Switzerland – Riverside Open Air Aarburg 27 – Romano d’Ezzelino, Italy – AMA Music Festival
September 1 – Palmer, AK – Alaska State Fair 9 – Alton, VA – Virginia International Raceway 22 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life 23 – Plymouth, IN – Plymouth Motor Speedway
Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth, is back with yet another of his interpretive dance videos. This time, Roth performs a little dance to “Atomic Punk”, the seventh track on Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut album. Watch below:
A few of Roth’s previous “dance” videos can be viewed below:
