LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-APRIL 1, 2019…IT WAS 1983 AND METALLICA WAS REPLACING THEIR GUITARIST DAVE MUSTAINE. IT WAS ON THIS DATE THEY ANNOUNCED KIRK HAMMETT AS THE GROUP’S NEWEST MEMBER.
KIRK LATER TOLD “MUSICRADAR” WHILE THE CALL TO JOIN METALLICA CAME AS A SURPRISE, HE ALREADY KNEW THE GUYS IN THE BAND.
KIRK WAS A MEMBER OF THE BAY AREA BAND ‘EXODUS’ AND HAD PLAYED ON THE SAME BILL AS METALLICA BEFORE SO HE KNEW ALL OF THEIR SONGS. ACCORDING TO HAMMETT:
“I had the No Life ‘Til Leather demo and listened to it quite a bit. It was what everyone in the San Francisco underground metal scene was listening to in 1982.” During his Exodus tenure, Hammett spent time on a personal level with Metallica singer-guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and recalled memorable experiences with both men: Hetfield as “a really cool guy, really clever” who just happened to like wrestling when he got drunk, and Ulrich as someone whose post-show routine included casually disrobing during their first conversation.
“They had just finished their set and as I was talking to him, he started taking his stage clothes off, and before I knew it he was completely naked in front of me. I was just shocked,” Hammett admitted. “I said to myself, ‘Oh, he’s European. Europeans do stuff like this.’ But my eyes never left his eyes.”
SO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIRK TO A GREAT 36 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF METALLICA.
HERE’S A GREAT VERSION OF ‘ENTER SANDMAN’ FROM A CONCERT 3 WEEKS AGO IN KENTUCKY
photo thanks-Alberto Cabello
