James Hetfield
(vocals/guitar) Kirk Hammett (guitar)
Jason Newsted (bass) Lars
Ulrich (drums)
1997
started with a bang for METALLICA with a performance at
the American Music Awards. The band also walking off by
winning an award. February saw the release of the 'King
Nothing' single and METALLICA finally wound down their
'Poor Touring Me' schedule the following month with a
final show in Edmonton, Canada.
METALLICA were soon back in action returning to the studio
to begin work on 'Re-Load', only taking a break for European
festival performances and for Hetfield's wedding in August.
As the band wound up work on 'Re-Load' in October METALLICA
put in an unusually low key showing by playing an acoustic
benefit gig for the Bridge School in San Francisco.
In an attempt to get back to their roots METALLICA hosted
a series of fan gatherings throughout Europe in November
1997. These events enabled the hardcore following to not
only listen to a playback of the 'Re-Load' album but also
catch the band playing a live set in an intimate club.
The same month saw the conclusion of a quite bizarre legal
wrangle in which a fan, Todd Miller, claimed he had lost
his sense of smell after attending a METALLICA gig in
Iowa during 1993. Miller's sensory deprivation reportedly
came after he suffered a head injury at the gig. The case
was settled but the verdict undisclosed.
Keen to rekindle the 60's era of free festivals METALLICA
announced their intentions for such a gig to launch their
'Re-load' promotion campaign. Initially though venues
under consideration were unforthcoming with offers and
eventually the band put in a performance in front of 50'000
non ticket paying fans in the car park of Philadelphia's
Core States Arena. The show coming a matter of days after
an impromptu blast at London's Ministry of sound club.
This show was recorded, tracks such as QUEEN's 'Stone
Cold Crazy' and KILLING JOKE's 'The Wait' turning up on
variants of the 'Turn The Page' single.
Debut single from 'Re-load', the melodramatic 'The Memory
Remains', shot straight into the British and American
charts and straight into fan debate too. Female backing
vocals were provided by the ex-girlfriend and alleged
abuser of mars bars MARIANNE FAITHFUL, the band having
stopped off in Dublin especially to record her vocal parts.
The album, selling over 435,000 copies in its first week
of sale, shot straight to number 1 in America as the band
performed 'Fuel' and 'The Memory Remains' live on the
famous American TV show 'Saturday Night Live'.
The year ended on a high with a performance at the Billboard
awards and METALLICA adding another award to their collection,
this time in the 'Best Hard Rock Band' category.
METALLICA got back into gear during 1998 with a fresh
batch of cover versions assembled together with previous
efforts under the title 'Garage Inc.'. New recordings
included DIAMOND HEAD's 'It's Electric', BLUE OYSTER CULT's
'Astronomy', THIN LIZZY's 'Whiskey In The Jar' and a MERCYFUL
FATE medley.
1998 also witnessed joyous events outside of METALLICA's
creative and business parameters with both Hetfield and
Ulrich becoming fathers. Cali Tee Hetfield being born
in June and Myles Ulrich in August.
Hardcore fans had their appetite for rarities satisfied
with the Australian DJ live album 'Poor Touring Me'. Only
issued to radio stations, the promotional album comprised
of 8 tracks recorded live in Texas during May of 1997.
