AC/DC: The rock band that reduced Lars Ulrich to tears
Hearing any good rock band can sometimes be a visceral experience for fans. Even though most listeners know the songs like the back of their hand by the time they see their favourite acts in concert, there’s a specific stimulation that comes with seeing the track being played directly to you that is unlike anything else in the music world. Although Lars Ulrich has provided that pleasure for many Metallica fans over the years, he admitted shedding a few tears when seeing AC/DC for the first time.
From the first time he picked up drumsticks, Ulrich never wanted to play anything that wasn’t balls-to-the-wall rock and roll. Growing up in Denmark, Ulrich gravitated towards the sounds of the new wave of British heavy metal, becoming infatuated with acts like Scorpions and UFO. When he moved to California, he found an unlikely brother-in-arms when he met up with James Hetfield.
Being a reasonably shy kid who loved metal music, Ulrich found a musical soulmate in Hetfield. They put their first melodies together, the drummer keeping time with a few riffs that Hetfield had lying around. While they might not have known it then, the band were on the verge of what would become known as thrash metal.
Outside of the relentless speed of the genre, Ulrich was about playing as many complex fills as possible, leading to albums like And Justice for All that were designed to be long stretches of musical exercises. Once the band took a break, though, Ulrich knew the next step would be to pair everything back down when working with Bob Rock.
Instead of the usual influences that Ulrich cited as his heroes like Neil Peart and John Bonham, he had talked about appreciating drummers like Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones and Phil Rudd from AC/DC when putting together The Black Album. Rather than using the song as an excuse to show off, Ulrich understood the power behind serving the song, using his kit to lay down a solid groove for dirges like ‘Sad But True’ and ballads like ‘Nothing Else Matters’.
When the band took to the road, they even got a golden opportunity to play with AC/DC. Playing as part of the Monsters of Rock line-up, Metallica went on first before welcoming the Australian icons to the stage. Although the band appreciated the crowds that day, Ulrich admitted to becoming emotionally overloaded once AC/DC ploughed through their set.
Discussing the day, Ulrich recalled, “As a lifelong fan, I actually got a little misty-eyed a couple of times when Angus was kind of going out, and you could hear the… When he walked out and played his solos on the ramp and stuff, it felt like people were sort of holding him up and really just loving him, appreciating him. I’m actually getting misty-eyed as we’re talking about it.”
While the distance between the band and the audience has become much bigger since Metallica’s prime, it’s easy to see how much Ulrich values the live stage. Since the band isn’t designed to be playing stadium shows for the rest of their lives, the drummer appreciates the idea of the communion that comes between a great band and the audience, going through a musical exorcism together that melts away all the bullshit of life. Anyone’s life can be hectic, but Ulrich is respectful of the power of music, making every aspect of modern life fade away.
