Metallica made news earlier this year when they accidentally, almost sued a Canadian Metallica tribute band thanks to the an overzealous lawyer with itchy trigger fingers. The whole incident was resolved rather quickly but for a brief moment, the ghost of law suits past reared its ugly head.
That is of course, a bummer since Metallica have proven to be some of the most easy going dudes in the game. They've allowed their fans unprecedented access to their lives and have basically had a camera in their face since the early 90's, which of course has resulted in a gold mine of wacky, behind the scenes comedic footage. We've compiled a short list of some of our favorite Metallica -LOL- worthy moments for your viewing pleasure. Be warned, there is a unending vortex of Metallica footage out there, try not to get sucked down the rabbit hole.
James Imitates Other Bands
[youtube]https://youtu.be/pRR7kPB13MU?list=PLOOpdSeUeIPb5w9RlOoo6P1me_CveW4Dg[/youtube]At Donnington 95' Metallica headlined over a who's who of the metal and hard rock underworld. The band took a moment to both celebrate and take the piss out of their contemporaries. Watching a mullted James Hetfield ripping through Slayer's "Black Magic" is probably the coolest thing ever. Hearing him say: "You like SAILOR huh?" might be the funniest.
Kirk's Ruined Solo
[youtube]https://youtu.be/9cyH7OyRCoI?list=PLOOpdSeUeIPb5w9RlOoo6P1me_CveW4Dg[/youtube]Kirk Hammett has been Metallica's lead axeman since forever, but sometimes…it seems that James Hetfield wants to get in on the shred too. Watch as James purposely butchers Kirk's solo on "Ride The Lightning" as the rest of the band has a good laugh.
Lars' Trip Down Kill 'Em All Lane
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KThhx0GwopM?t=2m57s[/youtube]Skip to the 2:58 mark to catch Lars Ulrich re-learning "Jump In The Fire" backstage and lol as he waxes nostalgic on Metallica's sort of homage to Iron Maiden and is baffled by James Hetfield's youthful, uh, shriek. Bonus points for Kirk's "piece of shit cake," comment.
90's ALERT: Metallica Meets The Fugees
[youtube]https://youtu.be/Ar0yY032yd8[/youtube]Imagine it, former Metallica bassist and backing vocal champion of the world, Jason Newsted, chilling behind the scenes at the Grammys with Wyclef Jean from The Fugees. Such was the world of MTV in the 90's. What might a collaboration between these two iconic musical acts sound like? Hopefully not as awkward is this impromptu beat boxing session.
Tallica Radio Jingle
[youtube]https://youtu.be/hUKELkkRNF8[/youtube]Some Kind of Monster exposed the world to the most tumultuous period in Metallica's history. Despite all the infighting and drama that marred the St. Anger days of the early millennium, it appears that the Tallica boys had no trouble coming together and uniting over their disdain for stupid fucking radio promos like this one. Their anguish results in some good laughs.
Kirk & Lars Party Hard Backstage
[youtube]https://youtu.be/OTa6h2-nrcE[/youtube]Years before Die Antwoord sampled it's awesomeness, The Bronski Beat's 1986 synth pop anthem "Hit That Perfect Beat" was immortalized by Lars and Kirk during the end credits of A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. Kudos to Jason for spouting "Beat that fuckin' meat boy," off camera and creating the perfect, literal, laugh out loud clip.
James & Rob Have Another Thing Comin'
[youtube]https://youtu.be/ylmNBSh1Vlk[/youtube]Here's Robert Trujillo and James Hetfield channeling their inner K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton while rehearsing "Battery" backstage. Their syncopated moves are one thing, the smooth jazz transition at the end is something else all together.
James Succumbs To Metal Madness
[youtube]https://youtu.be/n4vqfwcxZAs[/youtube]James Hetfield teeters on the edge of sanity in this clip, leaving Kirk and Rob to take over vocals on "Hit The Lights." James' shirtless battle cry is what pushed this video onto the list, although this footage of Lars singing and eating a sandwich was a close second.
Lars VS Guitar Hero
[youtube]https://youtu.be/SCJajVY_ucI[/youtube]During the motion capture session for Metallica's Guitar Hero game, good ol' Lars had a bit of difficulty locking down his performance of "The Shortest Straw." The result is one of the best behind the scenes Metallica clips ever. "You and your bright ideas…this is going straight to YouTube isn't it?"
The Lemmys
[youtube]https://youtu.be/jBkw5NyvucU?list=PLOOpdSeUeIPb5w9RlOoo6P1me_CveW4Dg[/youtube]Flash back to 1995. Metallica are the biggest band on Earth. This is post-Black Album, pre-Load, reigning kings of the rock world, Metallica. What does the mightiest act on the planet do to celebrate their hero, Lemmy Kilmister's 50th birthday? They don goofy wigs and jump on a stage smaller than their own Snake Pit to form The Lemmys, their very own Motorhead tribute band. As funny as it is watching the band hop around in full Lemmy regalia, there's something cool about seeing the kings step down for the ace that inspired them.
Are you a die-hard Metallica trivia nut? What are some of your favorite, funny Metallica moments? Let us know in the comments down below!
