METALLICA

Eric's Story | Jeff's Story | James' Story

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Jeff Holland and I got to the Roanoke Civic Center around 3 in the afternoon. The doors were scheduled to be opened at 5:30, and COC was supposed to come on at 7. We got there plenty early in hopes of being the first on the floor. It was nice to be able to attend a show within an hour's drive - the last time Jeff and I had gone to a show together, it had turned out to be a road trip from hell. We had purchased Club tickets, so our first stop was the box office. After a little miscommunication, the lady at the window told us the Club tickets hadn't been brought down yet, and that we'd have to wait until 4:30 or so to pick them up. That wasn't really that big of a deal. We headed over to where the line for the floor was going to form; we were the second people there. After 15 minutes or so, I decided to head back to the box office and try to catch Tony if I could, to find out what was going on. Jeff stayed and held our place in line.

After about half an hour of waiting, there was still no word on our tickets, so I wandered back over and told Jeff it might still be awhile. By that time, there was a good-sized line starting to form, and security was starting to hand out wristbands for the people who had floor tickets. Since we didn't have tickets yet, Jeff couldn't get us any wristbands, but he stayed right up there at the front of the line, hoping I could get things straightened out at the box office.

Around 4 o'clock, I spotted Niclas Swanlund, whom I had contacted a few days earlier to tell him I'd like to catch up with him. I got his attention and told him that there seemed to be a problem with the Club tickets. It was frustrating because people were coming in off the street and buying floor tickets, while we sat there for tickets that we had ordered a month ago. Niclas immediately took charge and told me we'd get things straightened out. He took me with him down into the depths of the Civic Center, down to where everything was being coordinated from.
 

After speaking with a couple people, we figured out the reason the tickets weren't available yet. It was because we were on the band's guest list, and they don't deliver a copy of the list to the front office until the last minute. Apparently, the list was on it's way there, though. Niclas and I went back upstairs, where we set up the Club booth for the evening's crowd to visit. We did a couple of other things for a little while...hang flyers all around the arena that stated that MTV was taping the show, took Club applications around to all the t-shirt vendors' tables, etc. We got to talk a lot about mutual friends we have around the globe - it was neat to find out that we knew a lot of the same people. Me through tape trading, him through touring. Niclas was in a really good mood, as he had just been given a brand-new digital camera to cover the shows with, and he swore it would make a world of difference in his pictures...whatever blows your skirt up, as James would say...!
 
 

We had a little time to kill before the doors were opened to the public, so Niclas gave me the grand tour. Went in and checked out the whole stage setup, met some guys on the crew, and took a quick look through one of the crew busses. Not bad...wall-to-wall carpeting, couches, kitchen, stereos, TV's, VCR's, computers, etc, etc.

Not a bad way to travel the country... I stopped by the car, and grabbed Niclas a chapter t-shirt, hot off the presses just a week before. It was the least I could do for him taking me around and getting the ticket situation sorted out. He gave me a few COC picks he had in his pocket...note the James-influenced Pepper design just for this tour...
 

As we went back inside, security was getting ready to open the doors. We stopped by the box office one last time, and our tickets were ready finally. Unfortunately, they weren't floor tickets, like we were expecting. More on that later. I quickly found the door Jeff was waiting at, and handed him a ticket and the pre-show meet-n-greet pass that had been with our tickets. I told Niclas I would run the Club booth during COC's set - I didn't really care about missing them.
 

He said he'd hook me up with passes for the other upcoming shows I was going to, and get me a chance to hang out with the band and give them some chapter shirts. It turned out that the Grammy Awards were taking place in New York City that same night, and the band was flying straight out after the show to attend a big party up there. So instead of the usual after-show backstage meeting, they were doing a pre- show tonight.

Eventually the doors were opened up, and people quickly filled the corridor around the arena. I had a great time running the booth. Got to talk with tons of people about the Club, and throw in a few plugs for the Chapter of the Mad. I had brought a bunch of chapter flyers along to go with the usual Club flyers, and a lot of people asked me about the chapter. I was wearing the brand-new chapter t- shirt, and a lot of people asked me where they could get one. The ultimate compliment!

Jeff came over and spent some time with me at the booth, before heading off to the pre-show meeting with the band. I met several people who I had traded with from around the country - it was nice to finally be able to put faces with names. Niclas came by and pointed out a couple of European guys that had just arrived in the States to follow the tour for 10 shows. Turned out it was Robert Reisinger and Gerben Kok. I knew Robert from the trading scene, I had just never met him face-to-face before. He's the head of one of the larger European local chapters - the German Power Wolves out of Hannover, Germany.
 

Gerben was a friend of his from Holland, who helps out with Matthijs Kropff's local chapter, Harvester of Holland. They were following the tour via Greyhound. They said seeing the show 22 times (!) in Europe last fall just wasn't enough. We talked for a long time - we had a lot of mutual friends from the trading scene in Europe. It was really cool to finally meet some of the people I've been trading with for the past few years. They said they knew Marcus Gahr from Germany really well, who is going to spend a week with me in April as he follows the tour for 2 months over here.

As COC was finishing up, Jeff came back with a huge smile on his face, and his hands were shaking. Said he got to meet and talk with Jason and Kirk a little bit. (He was a little angry with himself later when he learned that James and Lars had also been out briefly a bit earlier...awwww...!) We had already had a really great time, and the show hadn't even started yet... After a few minutes, I was free to head off with Jeff to catch Metallica's set. Gerben did us a big favor and took us down past security to the floor with his VIP pass. (Much thanks if you're reading this Gerben!) The floor was pretty darn full, but we were happy to be down there, instead of stuck up in a seat somewhere. The only way to see a Metallica show is definitely from the pit.

The guys came running out about 10 minutes later. After the warm-up session, they tore into So What, and the crowd on the floor quickly began to get sorted out - I was up against the barrier right in between the two stages by the time the lights went out after Kirk's first solo of the night. Man, there is nothing better than being up against the front barricade during a Metallica show...brought back some good memories from some Lollapalooza festivals last summer...

Well, since my counterparts here are writing about the show itself, I'll try to keep my words here to a minimum...

The show was really great, despite being significantly shorter than the Black tour gigs. The interaction with the crowd was fantastic, and it was much louder than the last time they came to Roanoke, on March 11, 1992. Getting to slap hands with Kirk, Jason, and James between every song is a total high. Having Jason stand one foot away from you for an entire live version of Bells is just incredible. The dude is just INTENSE.
 

I don't know what the guy next to me was thinking when he smacked Jason on the back of the neck during Creeping Death...Jason just quit playing and popped the guy right in the face. A bouncer came over and popped the guy one more time for good measure, then made him leave. Let that be a lesson for those yet to see the new tour...although the interaction is right there for everyone, don't interfere with the music-making...

The other highlight of the show for me was King Nothing - that song just kicks total ass live. Coupled with the 2nd stage opening up amidst a brilliant glow of flares, it just seemed like the high point of the show. Here's a pick that Kirk threw out in the middle of the show.

After the well-documented "disaster" and a quick stomp through Battery, the show was over. Jeff and I caught up with each other, and made our way back to the Club booth. I talked to Robert, Gerben, and Niclas for a while, then we said our goodbyes and agreed to try to hook up again in the future.

Definitely a great night...more so for the vibe with everyone, than the show itself. The true fans of this band just have some sort of underlying connection that is just the coolest. There's nothing like hanging out and talking Metallica with good friends...absolutely can't wait to attend 5 more shows in April...maybe I'll get to meet you there...

I got my picture taken with Kirk and Jason. They were so fuckin cool. Kirk was smoking his cigar. He is kind of quiet and reserved. Both of them signed my ticket stub and Jason signed my pre-show pass. I was so fucking nervous. I didn't know what to say. I did realize one thing, however, Jason and Kirk are very short...when compared to me, that is...well, I am 6'4" 285.

After that, I went to my reserved seat, and watched COC for awhile. They were pretty cool. They actually played a little bit of Am I Evil?, which was pretty cool. Around 7:30, I went back to the Metallica Club stand where Eric was still helping out at the Metallica Club stand. Eric said that Niclas could get us on the floor, but he didn't show up. However, another guy did show up. His name is Gerben Kok. Now get this, when Eric was talking to Gerben, he said that he saw Metallica in Europe 22 times. Damn, that must be nice! Gerben and this other guy, Robert Reisinger, head of a chapter in Germany, flew from Europe to New York, then they bussed down to Roanoke to see the show. They said they are following Metallica around for a while in the states. Wow, that's dedication. Anyway, Gerben got us on the floor, and we then proceeded to get up front, in between where the two stages were. Then we waited for the show to begin... Instead of listing the setlist, I'll just point out some of the highlights.

They opened up with the beginning of Ronnie, which was real cool. Then blasted into So What!. I kind of miss the intro music Metallica usually plays when they are about to come on stage, anyway I think playing half of So What! with the lights on is a pretty cool idea. Next was Creeping, then Sad (I love how they slowed down a bit on this one - very fuckin heavy!!!), then some shit off LOAD: Bitch, Hero, Waste and King. Hero sounded great live as was Bitch, Waste and King. I noticed Roam was a little bit heavier this time, maybe it is just me, but I think they slowed it down a bit. This time the Kill/Ride medley was a full version of Seek and the end of Fight Fire. They did play a little bit of Cure in the middle of Seek, which I only think true fans would notice. Next was Caress (always awesome!), then Master (I hope someday they play a full version of this!), then Sandman and then...the stage falls apart, the flaming roadie, etc...It still amazes me that there are people out there that still think the shit was real.
 

Anyway, after everything was put back together, the Boyz started to play a little bit of Alice in Chains, and then ripped into Battery. The Boyz had to leave for the Grammy's, so I think that's why they only played Battery in the end. I am glad Metallica is varying their setlist this time around instead of the same setlist night after night. And so ended my brief yet exciting time in heaven. Eric and I drove home (thank God it was only a 40 minute drive, not like the drive from Rockingham...but that's another story). It seems every time I see Metallica, they keep on getting better and better. They are definitely the best live band in the world...

The Roanoke show was the 3rd indoor show of the "Load" tour for me, the previous 2 being in Cleveland the week before. The last show that I had seen in Roanoke was Metallica back in '91 on the indoor "Roam" tour, although I have been to Roanoke countless times visiting relatives and friends. I arrived into town around 4:30, and made a few stops to visit with grandparents before going to my friend's place to go catch the show. It was great explaining to my grandparents why I was in town on a Wednesday night just to see Metallica.

We arrived at the will call around 6:30 (definitely running late) or so to pick up my club tickets when I noticed a group of people with pre-show passes waiting to be escorted backstage. I hadn't received any notice from the Metclub about if/when I would receive a backstage pass, and I was pleasantly surprised when my envelope with the tickets had a pre-show pass in it. By this time, the group with the pre-show passes was gone, so we went to find our seats, which ended up being 3 rows up off the floor on the side. The floor was general admission, and the rest of the Civic Center was reserved seating. I dropped my friend off at the section our seats were in and immediately set out to find the pre-show meeting. I couldn't get on the floor without a wristband, and on the third try I found a security guard who helped me out. He went back to the hall where everyone was waiting, and asked if I could come back. I got back to the hallway, and one of Metallica's security guys told me it was my lucky day.

There were around 25 people at this pre-show, and I immediately noticed that I was one of two people wearing a Metallica Club related shirt. I had on the brand new, kick ass Chapter Of The Mad shirt, while one other person had on the '96 club shirt. The only person I recognized was Niclas Swanlund, who I had met in Cleveland the week before. I talked to him for a bit, and thanked him again for hooking me up with an after-show pass in Cleveland. We talked about the pictures he was posting to the web site, and how they would be improving because he had just gotten a brand new digital camera that kicked the shit out of his old one. At this point, I could hear that C.O.C. was starting their set, and James and Jason came out to sign autographs.

Everyone was lined up so that whoever came out could quickly sign autographs in a fairly organized manner. They both started at the other end of the line, with Jason signing first and moving through fairly quickly. Because I hadn't heard anything from the club, I didn't bring anything to get signed, so I had Jason just sign my ticket stub. I had gotten him to sign a program and my after-show pass in Cleveland the week before, so I wasn't that worried about it. One thing that was noticeable, though, is that he was much more relaxed and talkative at the after-show than at the pre-show. He was pretty quiet and had an intense look on his face, like a fighter preparing to step into the ring. It was still very cool, and you could tell that he was preparing himself for the show.

I then noticed that everyone else had a promo flat of the cover of Load and a promo picture of the band. I asked the guy next to me where he got it, and he pointed out the girl who gave everyone one. I got a flat and picture from her, and from listening to people talk I found out that she was an Elektra records rep who was in town for the show. From listening to everyone else in the room, it seemed like most of the people there were radio station contest winners from WROV (?), the rock station in Roanoke, and 3WV, the rock station in Charlottesville, VA. The program director from 3WV was there talking alot with the Elektra records girl.

When James got to me, he signed my flat and promo picture, and I thanked him for all the shit they were doing with the club. He said cool, and I thanked him for the cool shit they sent me for winning a prize in one of the shortest straw contests. He said "No shit! You won?" I told him it was for the Bob Rock contest and my entry had the Mutt Lange reference....James said that was funny and always gets to him (referring to Mutt Lange comparisons). I then asked him if they were going to put "Bleeding Me" back into the set anytime soon, and he said they probably weren't, and they had it in there for awhile, but that it wasn't working out. He was very laid back and very cool, and it was great for him to come out and sign shit for people.

James and Jason left with their security guards, and we then waited about 20 minutes, just hanging out to see if anyone else was going to come out. Lars then came out, and started at my end of the line. I was first, and he walked up and shook my hand and said "Hi, I'm Lars"....I replied, "Hi, I'm James", and he responded with this great look on his face and said..."Huh...bad name" (in typical Metallica humor). He then signed the flat and I thanked him for all the club shit....he then looked up at my shirt and started reading "Chapter Of the Mad" from the front pocket area. He then looked at the back of the shirt for a bit and said "Pretty fuckin' cool...where is the chapter based?" I told him that there were members all over, with a chapter head here in Virginia, this guy Jameson in California....I then mentioned that Steve Wiig was one of the chapter heads...(searching for something he would know), and he said..."Oh, cool, yeah, that guy is following us around some...it seems like every time I turn around he's 6 feet behind me." I thanked Lars for signing my shit and everything, and congratulated him on his marriage, and he said thanks and moved on to the next person in line. This was definitely the coolest moment to date on this tour. And why didn't I bring my fuckin' camera, just in case?!#$%!??

Lars was very cool....and it was funny listening to him talk to other people. One guy asked him if he had seen the Star on the mountain, and told him that it was kind of what Roanoke was known for. Lars told him he hadn't, and that he'd only been in town for about an hour. It was also interesting to find out from Niclas that there was no after show, because the band was flying to New York almost immediately after the show. I figure they were in Roanoke for 5 -6 hours, and half that time was spent onstage. The next night (Thurs., 2/27), I was relaxing at home watching the premiere of Howard Stern's Private Parts from Madison Square Garden, and saw Woody from C.O.C. in the background while they were interviewing Jerry and Sean from Alice in Chains. I was hoping for a Metallica interview (since Lars was on the Stern show with Skylar), but no luck.

They then informed us that Kirk couldn't make it, so, Metallica's security guy invited us to go find our seats, and we walked out as C.O.C. was finishing up their set. I found my seat after they finished, and immediately noticed that most of the people in the section were club members, which was cool. I was telling my friend about the pre-show when a guy sitting in front of me notices my shirt and tells me he's in the chapter also. It was very cool meeting a couple of other chapter members, Justin and Scott. It was cool talking about the internet, the "accident" at the end of the show - even though a lot of us have been reading about it on the internet for months, it's still cool to see in person, the chapter, and just general Metallishit. Justin told me he was at the Slim's show, which was very cool to hear about directly from someone who was there. They were kind of pissed about not getting pre-show passes, but not too upset. I figured at a place as small as Roanoke most (if not all) club members would be getting passes. It was very noticeable how small the Roanoke Civic Center is compared to other arenas that Metallica is playing on this tour, but after the show started it was very apparent that the crowd was very intense (much more intense than in Cleveland, where Gund Arena is probably twice the size of Roanoke Civic Center). Maybe it was just me, but it seemed to be a much more intense show in this somewhat smaller arena.

The set list was very similar to the sets in Cleveland....no new shit tonight (I had heard "Fuel" the 2nd night in Cleveland). Although they did jam a bit of "Fuel" when they came out for the first encore (before "Caress"). They also changed their final encore, which was very cool. Tonight the final encore after the "accident" was "Battery", which was absolutely fuckin' awesome. I hadn't heard "Battery" either night in Cleveland, so it must have been a recent set list addition. I was kind of disappointed that they didn't do 2 songs for the final encore like they've done at most shows, but all in all it was a killer show, and ending it with "Battery" ruled. This show also ended just after 10:30, which seemed a bit earlier than the other shows I'd seen, but what the hell, it still ruled.

It was very interesting to hear from Eric a few days after the show via email that he had a friend who was at a pre-show that consisted of mainly club members, and that Jason and Kirk came out, but not James or Lars. I guess that at some places they're doing more than one pre-show, depending on the circumstances. I definitely lucked out by getting to the radio contest winners pre-show, 'cause it seems like it was cooler, and I got to chat a bit with James and Lars. I wish I had known about it in advance so I could have been more prepared for it, but it was still awesome.

We hung out for a bit after the show winding down, and then headed back to my friend Adam's apartment. I made the trip back to Northern Virginia at 5:30 the next morning (I was not up to dealing with trucks on I-81 after such an intense show), and was only half an hour late for work. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do. And on a sort of unrelated note, I definitely noticed (and appreciated) the fact that Roanoke, VA has much better looking girls than Cleveland.

This was definitely worth a mid-week road trip.....another great show, and I'm definitely glad they added Roanoke to the tour itinerary, even though it may have been a little out of the way to play such a small arena. The Roanoke crowd was definitely into it.....and it was great to see this show in one of the smaller arenas on the tour. And so far, 3 shows, and 3 different set lists, which is very cool (even if they're just different by a few songs). It will be cool to compare this one to the 6 or 7 other shows I'm gonna catch in the next two months. Right now this one holds up just fine.