Un-fucking-believable

[M4ST3R M1K3]

As first reported on Tuesday (January 25), METALLICA has announced the details of the U.S. leg of the "Big Four" tour, which unites Eighties thrash metal legends METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX on stage for the first time. Disappointingly, however, there will only be a single North American gig for now, on Saturday, April 23 at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California — the same location where the Coachella festival takes place every year.

During an appearance on yesterday's edition of "The Kevin & Bean Show" on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM (106.7), METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich explained the decision to play only one U.S. show, stating, "Let's take baby steps here. We did seven or eight ['Big Four' dates] last year, we're doing one show in England and one show in France [this year]."

He added, "Listen, we don't wanna cram this down people's throats. We don't wanna sort of overstay the welcome, and we don't know what kind of response there's gonna be to this in America, so we're starting, obviously, without being disrespectful to the rest of the wonderful country...

"We have a history in Southern California, SLAYER has a history in Southern California, [MEGADETH mainman and former METALLICA member Dave] Mustaine has a history in Southern California, so there's a lot of history in California. And we picked, obviously, the Coachella site where this is going down the week after the Coachella, [which] is probably — along with Bonnaroo — the favorite festival site to go to in North America.

"I went and saw RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE a couple of years ago out there at Coachella and just thought it was a brilliant, brilliant place, so when the Coachella organizers asked us if we would come and play there the week after and they would leave the scaffolding up and all that business, it just seemed like a great way to kick this off in North America.

"If there is enough demand for it, obviously there's a very strong possibility that there'll be more shows, but we don't wanna overextend the welcome and we also don't wanna turn it into something that becomes this whole nostalgia trip that's gonna sort of be, 'Okay, now it's just gonna be this for the next few years,' and 'Celebrate the past.' So it's a balancing act, you know."

[benharri]

What a pisser! Hope what Lars says is true for you American chaps and there are a few more shows in the near future!

[tikimaize]

As first reported on Tuesday (January 25), METALLICA has announced the details of the U.S. leg of the "Big Four" tour, which unites Eighties thrash metal legends METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX on stage for the first time. Disappointingly, however, there will only be a single North American gig for now,

The key word here is FOR NOW. I believe there will be more shows in the US. There has to be there is too much demand. Granted we dont have the awesome festivals that Europe has, so fucking what.
If not for the fact that the show was on Easter weekend I would be in CA. I was looking at flights this morning and it's like getting ass raped with no lube, the prices are ridiculous.
I will be real dissapointed and lose alot of respect for them if this is a once and done show in the US.

[even13flow]

He added, "Listen, we don't wanna cram this down people's throats. We don't wanna sort of overstay the welcome, and we don't know what kind of response there's gonna be to this in America, so we're starting, obviously, without being disrespectful to the rest of the wonderful country...

Give me a freaking break Lars really? You know people want it here, so the excuse of not wanting to overstay their welcome holds no merit.

[Leighton]

Hopefully they can get this US stuff sorted so we can all start the "Big 4 for Australia" campaign can get under way....

[clovnul]

I keep my fingers crossed for you as well.

But let us stay with that question, because it is VERY interesting: WHY ARE THEY PRIMARILY TOURING IN EUROPE AND NOT IN THE US? It cannot just be the crowds, which are probably tame in the US (I dont know). I think the main issue would be money. But I cannot figure out why they can make more money in Europe at the moment.

Any ideas?

It's the crowd dude. Someone tell me a festival at least half of size of Wacken.

The metal scene in the US is dead.

[cotis]

And you can tell that from Romania?

Maybe it's dead because there's never big fesitvals of this nature in the US to give it a try?

[cfmoran]

I don't like it either. However, perhaps Megadeth's Rockstar Mayhem Festival dates were already cemented by the time other people dragged their feet to come to the table. Once a tour is announced, it's kinda tough for one of the main names to totally drop off the bill. Plus, it's kinda sh*tty.

[clovnul]

And you can tell that from Romania?

Maybe it's dead because there's never big fesitvals of this nature in the US to give it a try?

Yep. I can see the crap metal bands coming from US in the past decade. The good metal bands you can number on the fingers from both hands.


Maybe you don't have a festival because there's not enough demand?

[no leaf clover]

Metal ain't dead in the US. There are a lot of good metal bands from the US.

Bands like Death Angel and a pretty cool new band like Warbringer.

But the music culture in the US is different from the one in Europe.

In the US it's all about what's popular and those kind of acts are getting a lot of attention.

In Europe there are so many festivals because most of the time the people that organize them are real music lovers, they organize a festival because they really love music, making money isn't their main goal.