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Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

nytimes.com

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Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#31

Post by Panoramix »

reidrac wrote: post #11
xinayder wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This video explains it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbAKqREg9g the meme is that he's a bad drummer, but even Hetfield said that he thought of kicking Lars before but realized later that he's an essential part of the band, after all, he's the one that founded the band - if it weren't for him putting out an ad on a newspaper in the US, Metallica might've not existed. he's not a great drummer, but he's an essen…

I don't get the "bad drummer" meme. The drum parts in any Metallica song are perfect for the song and you can tell his style by listening to the drums alone. Even if it was just serviceable, he's Metallica's drummer, so he's going to be criticised anyway.

He objectively sucks. He's had all the time in the world to improve his technique (to be on par with an average professional drummer) but he just doesn't care. If you listen to them live you'll immediately hear that he can't even keep the time: the most basic of tasks for the amateur drummer.

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#34

Post by [deleted] »

msoad wrote: post #17

This reminds me of pg’s submarine article[1]. NYT is being paid to promote Metallica’s tour. Possibly because not enough old people want to go to an expensive concert and young people think Metallica is an Instagram filter or something… [1] http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

[deleted]

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#35

Post by veave »

enneff wrote: post #18
reidrac wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get the "bad drummer" meme. The drum parts in any Metallica song are perfect for the song and you can tell his style by listening to the drums alone. Even if it was just serviceable, he's Metallica's drummer, so he's going to be criticised anyway.

It’s just that he’s technically not good, that’s all. Like he drifts with time and isn’t very precise. I think the band would sound better if he were more competent. The same could be said of Kirk’s solos; even though he’s performed some classic and memorable guitar parts, on the whole they’re pretty bland. I think for quite some time James and Jason were the best musicians in the band. Now Trujillo is far and away t…

There's something I don't understand. He's been a drummer for 40 years now. How can he still be "not good"?

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#36

Post by raverbashing »

planede wrote: post #15
ageitgey wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's some videos up: https://youtu.be/yY4w-bIH3X4

Wow, the giant beach balls are just horrible.

I agree, what's this, rock concert and American Gladiator mixed up?

I mean, it makes sense that the artist wants to circulate, but a T shaped stage makes more sense on a first glance (though of course having the guitar means that you need a pedestal for the mic, so there's that)

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#37

Post by raverbashing »

enneff wrote: post #18
reidrac wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get the "bad drummer" meme. The drum parts in any Metallica song are perfect for the song and you can tell his style by listening to the drums alone. Even if it was just serviceable, he's Metallica's drummer, so he's going to be criticised anyway.

It’s just that he’s technically not good, that’s all. Like he drifts with time and isn’t very precise. I think the band would sound better if he were more competent. The same could be said of Kirk’s solos; even though he’s performed some classic and memorable guitar parts, on the whole they’re pretty bland. I think for quite some time James and Jason were the best musicians in the band. Now Trujillo is far and away t…

He's probably better than anyone in The Clash for example

Technical prowess only goes so far, Metallica got where it got with him, and in the end it's a moot point

Yeah maybe he's not the best drummer, but it was good enough to get them where they got

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#38

Post by rob74 »

vibrio wrote: post #30
altacc wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been to a stadium concert with a similar doughnut layout and the main problem was that at all times at least half the audience is looking at a band member's back, not their face. You get some connection by being close but that doesn't last when they walk over to the other side of the stage. For what connection you can get in a stadium gig I prefer to see people's front, plus a big screen, not the musicians' back…

I’m with you on this analysis, I’m good going see a local band at a club with 150 others. It’s a different objective and experience, but stadium shows seem so sterile.

It doesn't have to be a local band, most concerts by less-mainstream acts (I hesitate to call Metallica mainstream, but I guess any band that can fill a stadium can be called mainstream) are in standing-place-only venues with a few hundred places - all tickets same price, and if you invest 1-2 hours to get there earlier you can get a place right in front of the stage.

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#39

Post by msoad »

jahsome wrote: post #26
msoad wrote: post #17

This reminds me of pg’s submarine article[1]. NYT is being paid to promote Metallica’s tour. Possibly because not enough old people want to go to an expensive concert and young people think Metallica is an Instagram filter or something… [1] http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

How did you determine nyt is being paid to promote the tour?

Because that's how it works. Having a different list of songs to play in each show is not newsworthy at all

Re: Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

#40

Post by Karellen »

reidrac wrote: post #11
xinayder wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This video explains it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbAKqREg9g the meme is that he's a bad drummer, but even Hetfield said that he thought of kicking Lars before but realized later that he's an essential part of the band, after all, he's the one that founded the band - if it weren't for him putting out an ad on a newspaper in the US, Metallica might've not existed. he's not a great drummer, but he's an essen…

I don't get the "bad drummer" meme. The drum parts in any Metallica song are perfect for the song and you can tell his style by listening to the drums alone. Even if it was just serviceable, he's Metallica's drummer, so he's going to be criticised anyway.

The impression I've got from reading a bit around this is that Lars can write great drum parts (especially great Metallica drum parts), and he can them play well enough... with sufficient practice.

The trouble is, so I've read, that he doesn't like to practice and doesn't do it as much as he "ought" to. Especially given Metallica's position in the industry/culture.

So he can go into a studio and record a great drum track... but it'll take him a bunch of takes to get right. For the other band members, who've put in the practice and shown up to the studio with their parts dialled in, that's frustrating and the source of a fair amount of tension. And while everyone misses a note or two in the course of an hour+ live show, the lack of practice means Lars tends to fluff a line a bit more frequently than the other members. But also, because of how fundamental the drum track is for keeping everyone else together, when Lars misses it causes more problems for the performance than when James, Kirk or Robert do.

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