The Metallica songs James Hetfield loves playing live: “Allows me to get pissed off and get it done”
For as long as there are bands making heavy metal music, there will be fans who sit around for hours on end discussing who they think the best is. There is no definitive answer, and that constant locked battle is what continues to make music so exciting. However, when it comes to the live show, very few heavy metal bands stand out as much as Metallica.
Dave Grohl has played on stage for near enough every big band there is. Whether he is on the drums, guitar or providing vocal duties, he has performed with the likes of Slash, Kurt Cobain and Tenacious D; however, there is one band he confessed he is desperate to play with.
“There’s a lot of people I’d love to play with. It’s just fun to jam with people,” he said, “I was playing drums with Tenacious D in the studio the other day, that was great, it’s always fun to play with them. I have my fantasy bands, I’m just waiting for Metallica to call.”
So, what is it about Metallica that makes people so attracted to them as a live band? The first thing has to be the power they have as a band. No matter what song they’re playing, the hard-hitting combo they can produce comes together in a live environment to deliver a performance that feels like a punch. Pair that sound with the lights, atmosphere and venue, and you have a combination for which people will (and have been) coming back.
With that in mind, it’s interesting that when James Hetfield was asked which of his Metallica songs were his favourites to play live, he chose one of their slower numbers. “’Nothing Else Matters’ is a great song,” he said, “I mean, the response it gets and the fact that it is very quiet and it’s got a lot of mood to it.”
It’s no surprise that ‘Nothing Else Matters’ always gets a good reaction. Released in 1991, it’s one of Metallica’s biggest hits, as fans from around the world know near enough every single word and adore the track from start to finish. Ironically, despite being such a good song to play live, it’s about missing someone while touring and wanting to be off the road because of those feelings.
“It’s about being on the road, missing someone at home, but it was written in such a way, it connected with so many people, that it wasn’t just about two people, it was about a connection with your higher power, lots of different things,” he said, “I remember going to the Hells Angels Clubhouse in New York, and they showed me a film that they’d put together of one of the fallen brothers, and they were playing ‘Nothing Else Matters.’ Wow. This means a lot more than me missing my chick, right?”
While the stripped-back and serene nature of ‘Nothing Else Matter’ might make it one of Hetfield’s favourites to sing live, he cites a number of other tracks as highlights. These included tracks from various periods throughout Metallica’s time as a band.
“Other songs, I mean, I enjoy playing ‘St Anger’, it really allows me to get pissed off and get it done, [it’s] very therapeutic for me,” he said, “Boy, I love playing ‘I Disappear’, love playing ‘No Leaf Clover’, love playing ‘Jump In The Fire’, these are the songs that we’ve just kind of pulled out of the hat recently. Always loved playing ‘Fuel’, and, you know, I enjoy playing ‘Hit The Lights’, too.”
