METALLICA FACTS

One of Kirk's tattoos was a present to himself for Christmas 1995. It reads: “Made in SF 11-18-62.” It's wrapped around his belly button.
Jason's brother, Tim Newsted, teaches elementary school.
Lars’ mother, Lone Ulrich, died March 22, 1998.
In case you're confused on old articles about Load, and youread some titles that are not on it, this should make it clear.“Hero of the Day”= 'Mouldy' “Until It Sleeps”= 'F.O.B.D.' [read: Fell on Black Days] “Cure”= 'Believe'
Lars calls the single Until It Sleeps,“Until It Puts me to Sleep."
Who or what is Ktulu? Ktulu is a tentacled faced creature that lies dormant on the bottom of the ocean awaiting the call to awaken from his followers, created by H.P. Lovecraft and actually spelled Cthulu.
Where is Cliff buried? Cliff's ashes were spread at various points around the bay area, including the Maxwell Ranch House area.
Who are all the former and current members of the band? James, Lars, and Kirk are all current. Cliff Burton on bass guitar, died 9-27-86. Dave Mustaine lead guitar, Ron McGovney bass, both 'removed' long before Metallica's release of "Kill 'Em All." Damien Philips, one appearance, in concert as a second guitarist, Lloyd Grant not really a member, but recorded some leadwork to the first demo for “Hit The Lights.” Jason Newstead left the band in early 2001. The current bassist is Rob Trujillo.
What is the Metallica Club? Metallica finally formed a Club in 1994 worthy of their fans. This club is completely owned and operated by the band, it is any members “connection” to the band! Metallica Club produces an annual T-shirt and prints their own magazine called “So What!” which comes out five times a year. Along with that, the club is THE place to get merchandise, tickets and maybe even a backstage pass! Contests and inside information make every issue of So What! something to look forward to!
How did Lars and James first meet? Lars had taken out an ad in a newspaper called the Recycler, saying he was looking for people to jam with. James answered the ad, and was unimpressed with Lars' playing, partly due to the fact that Lars' cymbals fell over every time he hit them. Shortly after, Lars went to England to follow his favorite band, Diamond Head on tour, and after returning to the States got a spot on Brian Slagel's “Metal Massacre” album. Using this as bait, he talked James into recording a song for the album, and the rest is history.
Jason joined the band in early 1987, and left in early 2001.
Who's married, and who has children? Kirk is currently married with no children, James was married to Francesca Hetfield, and has three children with her. Lars is married to Skylar Ulrich, and has one(?) child with her (Myles Ulrich).
James and wife Francesca had their first baby girl on June 11, 1998. They named her Cali Tee Hetfield.
Lars and wife Skylar had their first baby on August 5, 1998 a healthy little boy named Myles Ulrich.
What are their full names and birth dates? James Alan Hetfield, 8-3-63. (Hatched in Los Angeles, CA.) Kirk Lee Hammett, 11-18-62. (Brought back to life in San Francisco, CA.) Lars Ulrich, 12-26-63. (Found talking in Gentofte, Denmark.) Jason Curtis Newstead, 3-4-63. (Jamming in Battle Creek, MI.)
What is “Creeping Death” about? About the tale of the plagues bestowed upon the Egyptians, inspired by the second half of the movie 'The Ten Commandments'.
What equipment does the band use? James ESP Explorer guitar with EMG pick ups and Ernie Ball strings. Mesa Boogie mk II simul-class amp. Kirk Various ESP guitars, along with various vintage guitars, uses Dean Markely strings. Mesa Boogie Amp. Lars plays Tama Artstar II Drums with Remo heads and Zildjian Brilliant cymbals.
What is Garage Days? “Garage Days Revisited” featured two cover songs, “Am I Evil?” (orig. written and recorded by DiamondHead) and “Blitzkrieg” (...by Blitzkrieg). It was released in November 1984, the two songs were later released on the Elektra re-issue of “Kill 'Em All”, but have since been deleted. “Garage Days Re-revisited” is the follow up to the original “GD”, It had these cover songs: “Helpless”(..by DiamondHead), “The Small Hours” (by Holocaust), “The Wait” ( ..by Killing Joke), “Crash Course in Brain Surgery” (..by Budgie) and “Last Caress/Green Hell”(...by Misfits). It was released in August 1987 as an EP. Both of the Garage Days are deleted items and are very hard to find. "Garage Days Re-Revisited" was re-released on November 17, 1998, in the US as "Garage Inc.". It featured new recordings of the original "Garage days Re-Revisited" songs + other cover songs Metallica has covered in the past.
What is Spastic Children? Spastic Children was a “joke band” created originally by James, Cliff and Fred Cotton and James McDaniel. They never practiced and played rather ludicrous songs, Cliff played bass and James drummed. When Cliff died, Kirk took over the bass duties. Kirk says “Spastic Children was a good excuse to drink and be silly on stage.” Spastic has not been seen around lately.
Metallica moved from LA to SF, why? Cliff lived in SF and refused to move to LA. In order to get Cliff as the bass player the band had to relocate.
What movie are the clips from “One” from? “Johnny Got His Gun” which was made from the book by Dalton Trumbo, who also directed the movie.
James' skull ring and wolf pendant- where did he get them? The ring formerly belonged to Cliff. The pendant is from a store called The Great Frog in London (the same place that Cliff got the skull ring)
Lars, where is he from? Gentofte (North of Copenhagen), Denmark.
Have the guys recorded for anyone besides Metallica? James has recorded backing vox for “Twist of Cain” and “Am I Demon?” on Danzig's first album. Lars has recorded a drum track with Merciful Fate for a remake of their song “Return of the Vampire.” Kirk's old Exodus demo's have been seen floating around, he has also recorded a track with Les Claypool and Mike Bordin set for possible future release by Primus. He also produced demo's for Death Angel.
What was with Jason saying that he'd rather be in an all Elvis cover band? Jason's comments were about the lack of bass presence on the “...And Justice For All” album. He has also said that he would be in Metallica until he is physically (or mentally) unable to do so.
Where did the name Metallica come from? Lars stole it. “Mr. Metal” of San Francisco, Ron Quintana, was getting ready to launch a metal frenzy and he had a few names. He asked his friend Lars for help... after hearing the name “Metallica”, Lars quickly suggested a different name and kept “Metallica” for himself!
Why did James switch from the Flying V to the Explorer? The Explorer was James' back up guitar. When the 'V's' neck broke, he switched to the back up guitar, only to discover that the Explorer was perfect for James.
The liner notes say: James-guitar and Kirk-guitar. Who does what? James is responsible for the great majority of the guitar work in recorded Metallica. James handles all the rhythm guitar and most melody and harmony guitars, not to mention the acoustics and the occasional guitar solo. Kirk's duties on the albums are mostly for the full-blown lead guitar solos!
Who are DIE KRUPP'S? Die Krupps is a German band that released a nine song tribute CD to Metallica. Their interpretation of the songs is considerably different than that of the originals. There is some guitar, but mostly keyboards, electronic drums and a strong accent from the vocalist.
What is the song “Fade To Black” written about? 'Fade' was written by James just after the band's equipment was stolen in Boston, while they were preparing for their first European tour. Among the stuff stolen was a Marshall amp that was special, they searched two continents looking for a replacement amp with the same sound. 'Fade' was a direct reaction to having had all the gear taken from the band.
Why does Megadeth's “Mechanix” song sound a lot like Metallica's “Four Horsemen”? The leader of Megadeth, Dave Mustaine, used to be in Metallica. Dave helped write a few Metallica tunes including “The Mechanix”, which used to be a Metallica song. After Dave was booted from the band, “The Mechanix” was added to and rearranged into “The Four Horsemen.”
Was Lloyd Grant an actual member of Metallica? No, Lloyd ONLY played lead guitar on the original demo of “Hit The Lights”. At no time was Lloyd ever considered a member.
Who did the intro to “Roam” and with what? James recorded it with a sitar, an Indian folk instrument and also various percussion and electronic sound effects in the background.
What sports teams to the guys follow? James is a lifetime Raiders fan. Lars follows the San Jose Sharks, the 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both James and Lars have season tickets for the San Jose Sharks. Kirk is quoted as saying, “I hate sports!”
What is the music played as Metallica’s live show introduction, “Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone, from the Clint Eastwood flick “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly”, James’ favorite movie.
What are their favorite foods? James: Mexican, Meat and Potatoes, Beer Lars: Taco Bell, Cheese, Mayonnaise and French food Kirk: Sushi and Martinis
Were the members in Metallica in any other bands? James:Obsession, Phantom Lord, Leather Charm Lars: None Kirk: Exodus Jason: Flotsam & Jetsam Rob Trujillo: Played with Ozzy Osbourne
What happened to Cliff Burton, the former bass player? Cliff was killed in a bus accident en route from Stockholm, Sweden to their next show in the early morning hours of September 27, 1986.
Is true that Lars sings sometimes? Metallica, on occasion has been known to switch around the instrument's on “Am I Evil?” The (un)usual arrangement is Lars=Vox, James=drums, Jason=guitar, Kirk=bass. Lars claims this is his “Bruce Dickinson impersonation.” This is not a very regular happening, maybe five times ever.
How many music videos has the band made? Not counting performance clips, the band has made many music videos. “One”, “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Sad But True”, “Wherever I May Roam”, "The Memory Remains", "Fuel", "The Unforgiven II", "Hero of The Day", "Until It Sleeps", "Whiskey In the Jar", "Turn The Page", "I Disappear", "St. Anger", are most of them. There are 3 versions of “One”, the regular version with clips from the movie “Johnny Got His Gun”, a shorter version of the same, and the jamming version with just the band playing the song with no movie clips. There are 2 different versions of “The Unforgiven” (long, 15 min, and short) and “Enter Sandman” as well, but, the differences are minimal concerning only one scene.
How many video tapes has the band released? “Cliff 'Em All”- a compilation video piecing together old interviews with the band and a mix of professional and bootleg concert footage,covering Cliff's brief but eventful career with Metallica. “2 of One”-featuring 2 versions of the music video for the song “One”, a jammin' version edited shorter for play on MTV and the long form, and an interview with Lars Ulrich. “A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica parts 1 and 2”- This 2 video set follows Metallica on their journey through the making of the 'Black Album', and on the 'Wherever I May Roam' tour. “Live Sh*t: Binge And Purge”-3 Video tapes, with 2 tapes devoted to a 1992 show in San Diego and one video tape with a show from 1989's Damaged Justice tour in Seattle. (This unique set also includes a 3 CD set taken from a 1993 show in Mexico City plus other goodies) Other videos the band appears in include: the Freddie Mercury Tribute called “A Concert For Life” containing one song, and “For Those About To Rock: Monsters in Moscow” with three live Metallica songs. “25th Anniversary of Woodstock” one song and a “Best of the Grammies” one song. Also on November 17, 1998 Metallica released a video of their Load/ReLoad tour called "Cunning Stunts." The latest of the Metallica videos released is the video recorded at the symphony show, "S&M."
In what show did James get burned by the pyrotechnics? Montreal, August 9, 1992.
With what heavy metal band did Lars first become interested with the Metal Scene? Deep Purple
Who played with Metallica on their first “Day on the Green” appearance? Scorpions, Ratt, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and Victory.
What was Cliffs last show? Stockholm, Sweden. Sept. 26, 1986.
When was Jason's last gig with Flotsam and Jetsam? Oct. 31, 1986.
What's Lady Justices' nickname? Doris.
What is James' favorite Venom album? “Welcome to Hell.”
Who was “Voodoo Children”? Group that only made one performance in benefit to the blues guitarist John Campbell in summer 1993. The lineup was: Kirk Hammett-guitar; Jason Newsted-Bass; Tony Prinzivalli-Guitar, vocals; Whitey Chrobak-Keys; Tim Lau-Drums.
What are the names of all the albums, and when did they come out? “Kill 'Em All”- Released on Megaforce records in July 1983, “Ride The Lightning”-Released on Megaforce records in August 1984, “Master of Puppets”- Released on Elektra records in March 1986, “...And Justice for All”- Released on Elektra records in September 1988, “Metallica”- Released on Elektra records in August 1991, "Load" -Released on Elektra records in Mid 1996, "ReLoad"- Released on Elektra records in November 1997, "Garage Inc." -Released on Elektra records in November 1998, "S&M" Released on Elektra records in November 1999, "St. Anger" -Released in 2003, "Death Magnetic" Released on Elektra records in September 2008. Note: both “Kill ‘em All” and Ride The Lightning” were re-issued by Elektra.
What do the members of Metallica like to do when they aren't working? James Hetfield enjoys hunting, Lars Ulrich likes scuba diving, skiing and going to the movies, and Kirk Hammett likes to mountain bike and collect horror movie related stuff.
Do any of the members of Metallica have Tattoos? Kirk has a tattoo that reads “Made in SF 11-18-62” and it circles around his belly button. He also has a flame tattoo on each hip. Cliff had tattoo of the Misfits Skull which is somewhat legendary. James has a tattoo of a hand of playing cards, with flames underneath.
What is Alcoholica? A nickname for Metallica, given to them somewhere in Europe in 1985, because of their love of drinking. A fan was spotted wearing a T-shirt he had made of the cover of “Kill 'Em All”, only instead of hammer and blood, the T-shirt showed a bottle spilling Vodka. The band members liked it so much, they adopted it for their own use.
Why did they stop selling “Garage Days Re-revisited”? It was something done for fun to get a vibe going with Jason back in 1987, it was never intended to be around forever.
What is “The God That Failed” about? 'God' is highly personal song for James to sing. Much of the lyrics are devoted to the subject of James' mother's death by cancer. Because of her Christian science beliefs she felt unable to accept any modern day medical care and relied solely on her faith to heal her.
Who were Metallica's main influences? James Hetfield: Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Ted Nugent. Lars Ulrich: Diamond Head, Motorhead, Deep Purple. Kirk Hammett: Jimi Hendrix, UFO, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Joe Satriani. Jason Newsted: Kiss, Rush, Black Sabbath, Ted Nugent.
Why did Jason cut his hair first? It was fried from concert lighting and smoke etc.
Is it true Metallica has (or was supposed to) appeared on Saturday Night Live? Yes, the band was to appear in 1987 but front-man James Hetfield broke his arm in one of his many skateboard accidents causing a cancellation, but they later appeared on SNL in December 1997 and played “The Memory Remains” and "Fuel" from ReLoad.
When was Cliff's first gig? March 5, 1983, The Stone in San Francisco.
What does “Well 'ard Stiffy Boyz” mean? The phrase, seen on James' guitar, has no real meaning (to those brought up outside of northern England), it is generally used to imply a group of “bonded males.”
When and where was the first Metallica show? Featuring Ron McGovney on bass and Dave Mustaine on guitar, Metallica's first show was at Radio City in Anaheim, CA. The date is said to be March 14, 1982.
Where is the “Snake” from? The “Snake’ is from the Culpepper Minute Men flag from which the motto “Don't Tread On Me” also originates.
How did Cliff get credit for “To Live Is To Die”? The words spoken by James are Cliff's.
Does the music to “One” mean S.O.S. in Morse Code? NO, this is just another rumor, probably due to “S.O.S.” being repeated towards the end of the music video.
What's going on at the end of the “Roam” video, why is Jason being attacked with pies? When touring Jason's (and other band members) birthdays are celebrated by drenching with pies and other available materials.
Where have Metallica's records peaked on Billboard? “Kill 'Em All” at #120 in February of 1988, 5 years after being released. “Ride The Lightning” at #100 in the spring on 1985. “Master of Puppets” at #29 shortly after its release. “Garage Days Re-revisited” at #28 about a month after release. “...And Justice For All” at #6, four weeks after release. “Metallica” debuted at #1 and stayed there for 4 weeks. "S&M" debuted at #2.
How was the intro to “Blackened” recorded? Its several guitars were recorded and the tape was then flipped, this actually plays the recorded guitars BACKWARDS!
Is that the same 'old man' in both “Enter Sandman” and “The Unforgiven” music videos? No, they are 2 different people.
Is it true that James was in rehab for his problems with alcohol? Yes, James entered rehab in mid-2002, and was out in August of 2002.