Even Metallica is a nobody to the Rolling Stones
Lars Ulrich from Metallica was on the Opie and Anthony show on Friday (May 25). He had a lot of great things to discuss and didn't sound too much like a douchebag. Specifically, he discussed opening for the Rolling Stones.
As you know, the Rolling Stones are rock royalty. They cater to no one. They rarely do meet and greets. And most of all, they have no time for schmoozing with the hired help...even if the hired help is Metallica.
Here is how Lars Ulrich remembers it:
"Yeah, it was last year — it was about a year and a half ago out here in San Francisco. We were in the middle of some chill time after the 'St. Anger' tour and one day it was like, 'The STONES wanna know if you wanna open for them in San Francisco,' and it was like, 'Duh, of course, we will. Just name the day and place and we'll be there.' We obviously hadn't opened for anybody for a few years but if you're gonna open for anybody, open for the STONES. I mean, c'mon!
"It's the second show — [we played] two shows [with THE ROLLING STONES] in a row — and some assistant with, like, five walkie-talkies and a water-bottle holder, whatever, comes in before the show and says, 'Do you want your picture taken with THE ROLLING STONES?' We were like, 'You know what? Sure. Why not?' So after our show and then they're getting ready to go on, this assistant comes in and says, 'OK, be ready in five minutes' or whatever. So she comes in, she escorts us into this place in the tunnel leading into the stadium and she says, 'Wait here.' As we're standing in this tunnel, literally, and this band EVERCLEAR — who were playing also — they were kind of like over there on their 'X'. So we're standing there and we go over and say 'Hello' to the guys in EVERCLEAR, 'Hey, how was your show?' And this assistant comes back and says, 'No. The guys in METALLICA stay here, and the guys in EVERCLEAR stay over here.' We were like, 'Whoaaah.' So then about five minutes later the STONES come in, and I swear they didn't stop — they slowed down their pace, or their walk, just slow enough to get, like, two or three pictures taken, two or three frames shot with EVERCLEAR, and then they came over to where we were standing waiting, and they all looked at us… No, actually, Charlie Watts said 'Hello' and I think Keith [Richards] nodded or something, and Mick [Jagger] looked like we were all gonna give him pneumonia or something — he had this disgusting look on his face. And then they slowed down long enough while the photographer took two or three frames, and then they walked off. And then the assistant came over and said, 'If the band approves the photo, we'll send you a copy.' That kind of sums up THE ROLLING STONES experience. [Laughs] But being up on stage, that was awesome and the legacy and the whole thing, but that kind of left me with a little bit of a strange taste in my mouth . . . If we ever pulled that, would you come and find me and shoot me? I mean, seriously? But it was a great night and getting a chance to just be part of… If you can sit there and tell your kids, 'I opened for IRON MAIDEN, I opened for DEEP PURPLE, and I opened for THE ROLLING STONES,' then you're pretty much good to go, you know what I mean?"
Yes folks, Metallica may be metal royalty, but even they have to stand in line like a peon to meet the Rolling Stones. If you have had the opportunity to meet any member of the Rolling Stones, you are our hero. If you haven't met the Rolling Stones, most people haven't.
As you know, the Rolling Stones are rock royalty. They cater to no one. They rarely do meet and greets. And most of all, they have no time for schmoozing with the hired help...even if the hired help is Metallica.
Here is how Lars Ulrich remembers it:
"Yeah, it was last year — it was about a year and a half ago out here in San Francisco. We were in the middle of some chill time after the 'St. Anger' tour and one day it was like, 'The STONES wanna know if you wanna open for them in San Francisco,' and it was like, 'Duh, of course, we will. Just name the day and place and we'll be there.' We obviously hadn't opened for anybody for a few years but if you're gonna open for anybody, open for the STONES. I mean, c'mon!
"It's the second show — [we played] two shows [with THE ROLLING STONES] in a row — and some assistant with, like, five walkie-talkies and a water-bottle holder, whatever, comes in before the show and says, 'Do you want your picture taken with THE ROLLING STONES?' We were like, 'You know what? Sure. Why not?' So after our show and then they're getting ready to go on, this assistant comes in and says, 'OK, be ready in five minutes' or whatever. So she comes in, she escorts us into this place in the tunnel leading into the stadium and she says, 'Wait here.' As we're standing in this tunnel, literally, and this band EVERCLEAR — who were playing also — they were kind of like over there on their 'X'. So we're standing there and we go over and say 'Hello' to the guys in EVERCLEAR, 'Hey, how was your show?' And this assistant comes back and says, 'No. The guys in METALLICA stay here, and the guys in EVERCLEAR stay over here.' We were like, 'Whoaaah.' So then about five minutes later the STONES come in, and I swear they didn't stop — they slowed down their pace, or their walk, just slow enough to get, like, two or three pictures taken, two or three frames shot with EVERCLEAR, and then they came over to where we were standing waiting, and they all looked at us… No, actually, Charlie Watts said 'Hello' and I think Keith [Richards] nodded or something, and Mick [Jagger] looked like we were all gonna give him pneumonia or something — he had this disgusting look on his face. And then they slowed down long enough while the photographer took two or three frames, and then they walked off. And then the assistant came over and said, 'If the band approves the photo, we'll send you a copy.' That kind of sums up THE ROLLING STONES experience. [Laughs] But being up on stage, that was awesome and the legacy and the whole thing, but that kind of left me with a little bit of a strange taste in my mouth . . . If we ever pulled that, would you come and find me and shoot me? I mean, seriously? But it was a great night and getting a chance to just be part of… If you can sit there and tell your kids, 'I opened for IRON MAIDEN, I opened for DEEP PURPLE, and I opened for THE ROLLING STONES,' then you're pretty much good to go, you know what I mean?"
Yes folks, Metallica may be metal royalty, but even they have to stand in line like a peon to meet the Rolling Stones. If you have had the opportunity to meet any member of the Rolling Stones, you are our hero. If you haven't met the Rolling Stones, most people haven't.
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