Mandatory Music
Welcome to Mandatory Music! A podcast about the craft of music.
Join Mike and Sebastian as they unravel the depths of song writing, musicianship and great artists. Each season centres on one particular band, with a deep dive into specific songs that delve into their creation, sound and complexity. It is within song and harmony, melody and rhythm that our emotional heartbeat echos.
It has been said that "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. - Plato
So, come for the ride.
Mandatory Music
Episode 40: Metallica for a Cause!
In this episode, we recap Metallica's recent benefit concert, highlighting the electrifying setlist, standout moments, and the incredible work of their foundation, All Within My Hands. Join us as we explore the power of music to unite and inspire, Metallica-style!
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Mandatory Music is proudly hosted and produced by Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich
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Thanks for listening and keep on rocking
Attendees
Mandatory Music, Sebastian Kwapich
Transcript
Mandatory Music: Good evening and welcome back to Mandatory Music. I am your somewhat healthy host, Mike. I'm coming down with I think whatever Seb has and whatever my wife currently has as well. So, if you hear some coughing, I do apologize because it's uncontrollable and I don't know where the mute button is yet. It's right here. So, I'll keep the cursor over the mute button because I'm having random coughing attacks, but that's okay. Sebastian, how are you tonight, Good. Sweet.
Sebastian Kwapich: I can Getting closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Still sick kind of, but I'm working at 100%.
Sebastian Kwapich: It's just coughing fits from sporadic ones. but yeah, hopefully you don't have whooping cough, which apparently has been going around.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. No,…
Mandatory Music: I'm not coughing a ton. It's just when I do cough it hurts and I'm just like whatever.
Sebastian Kwapich: That's how it starts, It's cuz you're 47.
Mandatory Music: It's how it starts, baby. So, I got to, and I injured myself running. I don't know how, but it's that up.
Sebastian Kwapich: That's why.
Mandatory Music: It's Yeah. And that's exactly when I saw my chiropractor. He's like, "Didn't we have a conversation last year about you not running anymore?" And I'm like, "Yeah." So I'm…
Sebastian Kwapich: Nobody asked for your advice. And then he's like, you're literally here asking for my advice.
Mandatory Music: Yeah." And I said, "I want to give it one more kick of the can and have next year be good." He's like, " look what you've done." So I don't know. I kind of messed up my pelvis a little bit and It hurts to walk up the stairs. It's been a week and whatever. And my doctor told me that five years ago.
Sebastian Kwapich: I like him. He's telling you how it is. It's good.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: He's like, "You need to stop running,…
Mandatory Music: but I didn't listen. And yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Take up biking,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Or swimming. Your kids do it.
Mandatory Music: I don't like swimming. It's hard. It's And I don't want to sound like I'm lazy, but I No,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Lazy. No,…
Mandatory Music: swimming is right.
Sebastian Kwapich: he does the least laziest form of You long distance run. So, Mike is not lazy.
Mandatory Music: No, I don't like swimming. I don't like being in the wa water all that much.
Sebastian Kwapich: I …
Sebastian Kwapich: Being I don't like doing my cardio in the water, I like just existing in the water and having a good time, right? But Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: No, it's like my Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: my kids both competitive swim and to watch them do what they do, it's absolute insanity. and we've been watching them practice, it's just back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and…
Sebastian Kwapich: it's a little much.
Mandatory Music: forth and my god, it's crazy. I can't even do I can go 25 mters and…
Mandatory Music: then I need to take a break then I can barely make it back the next 25 and my son he does 2,000 meters of practice. It's like whatever, right.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yep. I know exactly the way you feel.
Sebastian Kwapich: It's the same way. I'm like, how do people just do this non-stop going back and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: forth? I need constant breaks.
Mandatory Music: No, it's just Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: it's bizarre. So, that's okay. I'll find something. I'll probably end up taking up biking or whatever. Or I might be stubborn and just I don't want to go through another injuryfilled year because that was this year as well.
Sebastian Kwapich: He's not giving up running,…
Sebastian Kwapich: I can tell you firsthand, Metallica.
Mandatory Music: No, I'm not. But I'm going to whatever it is what it is. But anyways, we're not here to talk about my stubbornness or my health because that nobody needs to hear about that. tonight we're going back to the Metallica again. even though I think we said a while ago we were done with it for a while…
Mandatory Music: but they no absolutely and…
Sebastian Kwapich: We're never truly done with it.
Sebastian Kwapich: There's always going to be resurgence every so often.
Mandatory Music: they have their own foundation called All Within My Hands and it's a charitable foundation giving people access to schooling that might not normally have access to schooling and careers and all that kind of stuff. It's a great foundation and they give back a lot and what they do every year, every December is they put on a benefit concert and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yes. There's some memo.
Mandatory Music: they usually invite some friends Tom Mel was one of the sort of MC's. Jimmy Kimmel was the host. Jeff Yeah. Jason Mimo was there. He was talking. So they bring out a lot of their friends and they have a couple guests on stage and they usually play some songs they haven't played in a long time which this year it was a treat because it was deep cut extravaganza and it was like wow I thought it was pretty cool pain.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, it was very interesting. I think what it allows them to do my first thought after watching this whole thing is how loose they were and…
Mandatory Music: Mhm. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: how they weren't it's not like a concert with that they have to be precise. They can just go out there and just have a good time and it's about enjoying themselves on set.
00:05:00
Mandatory Music: Absolutely. Yep. Mhm.
Sebastian Kwapich: And I have a question for And as I'm watching the concert unfold,…
Sebastian Kwapich: I kept thinking about this question and I kept thinking that the answer might be probably. Do you think James was drunk? I don't know, loose like he was.
Mandatory Music: No, I hope not.
Mandatory Music: He seemed pretty loosey goosey, that's for sure.
Sebastian Kwapich: and I don't think so. But then I was like, man, he's just the whole thing that did it for me is when he was fumbling with that guitar and…
Sebastian Kwapich: he couldn't get the strap on. He's like, I need some help. And then Kurt came to him and…
Mandatory Music: We couldn't get the strap to angle.
Mandatory Music: Right. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: the stage hand came to him, but he was just having such a loose time with it.
Mandatory Music: Because compared No.
Sebastian Kwapich: So there was no anger in him, Usually he's such a p precision performer that…
Mandatory Music: No.
Sebastian Kwapich: if one thing is offkilter,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: he gets mad about it, he'll kick over a mic stand or something like that. So, …
Mandatory Music: Did you happen to watch last year's as well or any of the other All My Hands concerts?
Sebastian Kwapich: I watched it last year, but I can't remember it.
Mandatory Music: Okay. Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: So, yeah,…
Mandatory Music: he was pretty chill, too. I think they're just out having a good time but you're right. It was like his banter was weird. He didn't remember which might have been just shtick. Remember what album Short Straw was off.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think that was a shtick. I don't think he was serious about that.
Mandatory Music: You think, right? No,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: he has to know. There's no way he forgot. Or maybe
Sebastian Kwapich: Real quick just for our listeners, if you are interested in watching the actual concert, it's an hour and a bit. it's on YouTube. You just Google All within My Hands 2024 and it will be the first one up. It's I think the entire stream is about 3 hours long, but the first hour in a bit is just introductions and talking about it and whatnot. And then there's introductions, Jimmy Kimmel does his thing as well, but I don't think it starts until an hour or something into the stream. And I think it might be a little more than that,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah, it's just after an hour or something. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: but yeah, it's just under two hours for the whole concert.
Mandatory Music: Mhm. Sure.
Sebastian Kwapich: We'll try to highlight some of the things if you don't want to watch the whole concert in itself to maybe check out.
Sebastian Kwapich: And all the songs are timestamped in the YouTube bar on the bottom. So you can just hover over sections of it and you can go to what you want if you just want to piece meal it together and whatnot. but yeah,…
Mandatory Music: Yep. …
Sebastian Kwapich: just a reminder it's all on YouTube. and you can still donate if you like as well to yes and…
Mandatory Music: did you look at the set list before you watch this?
Sebastian Kwapich: no. …
Mandatory Music: Me, too. Okay.
Sebastian Kwapich: I started it and then as I was running out of time, I looked to see what songs were near the end. So, I probably watched the first three, four or five songs without knowing anything. And then I was like, "Okay, I got to see how long this lasts because I'm not going to be able to finish it before we start the podcast." Obviously,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah, fair enough.
Sebastian Kwapich: Christmas work, it's something happening right now.
Mandatory Music: One of us is busy,…
Mandatory Music: the other one is not. I watched it Thursday night because I'm a homer and I can't help myself. So, yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: You're lousy.
Mandatory Music: So, the show just sort of started, they just walked out and picked up their guitars and…
Sebastian Kwapich: No intro. It was very awkward.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: nothing. It's just Mhm.
Sebastian Kwapich: Not awkward. It was very unsettling to not have them walk out to Ecstasy of Gold…
Mandatory Music: Yes. Mhm.
Sebastian Kwapich: because they've been doing that for their entire existence pretty much from what I can remember. watching their concert footage, So, that was very weird that they just walk out and…
Mandatory Music: It's Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: just, hey, we're here, guys, and pick up their acoustic guitars and just start playing. But
Mandatory Music: And instantly it's a deep cut which they've only played I believe I have it right here. I think it's 66 times. And the last time they played it before the 13th, the song is Low Man's lyric off of Reload. Last time was September 13th,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, I
Mandatory Music: And coincidentally, we saw that song September 4th, 1998, which I have a very vague memory of it. but they played it on that tour basically cuz what they did that summer was have five songs were acoustic and they just threw low man's lyric in there. the one thing I'll say about this band is they prepare of all the deep cuts they played tonight…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yes. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: which there's a good number of them it looked like they played it last week and it's not like it's okay we're just going to fumble through this and make it we're just going to play it and it's going to sound like garbage. No, we're gonna play it like it's basically was a recreation of the album which I thought was really cool.
Sebastian Kwapich: To be honest, I'm not a fan of the song. I never have been.
Mandatory Music: Mhm. Okay.
Sebastian Kwapich: I have my issues with the song. I found it strange that they led the set off the concert off with that song…
00:10:00
Mandatory Music: Yeah. it Yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: because I'm gonna be really mean about the song, but it almost put me to sleep. it's not a high energy song, And I understand that they start the concert off an acoustic set. but look at the Bachman Turner overdrive That was the highlight of the acoustic set. That was really good. it was really good.
Sebastian Kwapich: I'm like, this sounds incredible, right? So,…
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: Yep. It sure does.
Sebastian Kwapich: that's the magician's trip of Lars.
Mandatory Music: It was one of those covers they made their own really cuz I listened to the original version a little while ago and I don't know what Lars saw in the song of hey we got to do this song cuz it was just what?
Sebastian Kwapich: He sees something in music that the average person doesn't see or…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Right.
Sebastian Kwapich: doesn't even know. and his mind for arranging riffs together and…
Sebastian Kwapich: going this needs to go with this. trust me and he's done it time and time and time again with Metallica songs.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: absolutely. …
Sebastian Kwapich: So yeah.
Mandatory Music: we'll kind of skip over helpless because I thought that was kind of dumb. I just was like, just play it electric and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. I don't think it was a strong start for the set to be honest with you.
Mandatory Music: no helpless.
Sebastian Kwapich: I mean it was kind of like boy.
Mandatory Music: And it just kind of went on and on. It's like, my god, come on. we don't need this.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: I don't know. It's helpless. it's a Diamond Head cover and it was on the Garage A revisited in ' 87 and it belongs in that sort of electric world. It doesn't belong semi acoustic,…
Mandatory Music:
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. …
Mandatory Music: it didn't do it for me personally. it was kind of a let down like you say you didn't like Lance Z. I loved it. I thought it was amazing and then it's just helpless. I'm come on I'm like cool it's helpless and then no it's not cool.
Sebastian Kwapich: I will say this though. I think James sounds incredible.
Sebastian Kwapich: His voice is dialed in. And I don't want to nitpick, but we have deep dive Metallica so much that I think we're semi-experts on the band, so why wouldn't we nitpick?
Mandatory Music: Yeah. I'd like to think so.
Sebastian Kwapich: And yeah,…
Mandatory Music: Right. Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: and I don't want to say this, but I do. And I think at this point in their career, I actually think that Kirk is the weakest member of the band.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: I'd agree. He played. I thought he was pretty on point.
Sebastian Kwapich: He was on point, but his precision isn't there anymore,…
Mandatory Music: No. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: He's sloppy. He hits extra strings. if you actually listen closely, he makes a lot of mistakes now when he plays his lead work.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: And he was supposed to be known as the guitar he had an award for guitar player of the year in the 80s and 90s right he's supposed to be a flawless virtuoso guitarist and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. without a doubt.
Sebastian Kwapich: I just feel like his preparation isn't on the same level as the other three members of the band I think and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah, because I think so.
Sebastian Kwapich: that's a gross over that's just a
Sebastian Kwapich: That's got to focus,…
Mandatory Music: I think I was watching when they played Orion, a huge was watching the two of him and Kirk and James is looking away from his guitar and doing it during the harmony solo in the interlude in the middle and he's looking like he's having the best time in the world and Kirk is staring at that fretboard he's focused.
Sebastian Kwapich: He's trying to focus,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah, exactly.
Sebastian Kwapich: but They're playing literally the same passage, just harmonized,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. and…
Sebastian Kwapich: right? …
Mandatory Music: it looks like obviously I think it's just habit that he's staring at his fretboard. He's not like because Hefield is a singer so he doesn't have the luxury of being able to sit down and look to his left.
Sebastian Kwapich: dude, I don't know how he does it, to play some of those complicated rhythms and…
Mandatory Music: It's baffling.
Sebastian Kwapich: sing over top of it. I have no idea how he does that.
Mandatory Music: It's baffling, That dude is Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: That is a skill. I do have a question quickly about Orion, though. How did you feel about them playing with a backing track?
Mandatory Music: They did it when we saw them.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, there's a good part of the song that's like…
Sebastian Kwapich: because it starts with a backtrack and then they go in. There's parts of the backtrack that keep playing through the song.
Mandatory Music: got that whole Yeah.
Mandatory Music: I didn't really notice it too much.
Sebastian Kwapich: So yeah,…
Mandatory Music: I was just kind of enamored with them just playing it. But I absolutely.
Sebastian Kwapich: I know it's one of your favorite songs. It's a good song. Instrumental, too. So, I mean,…
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: I'm okay. I think at this point I'm okay if they just sprinkle in a little bit of that once in a while because they're older and they're just it.
Sebastian Kwapich: I'm fine with it for the purposes of this concert,…
Mandatory Music: Okay. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: this specifically, but playing it live, I think, at an actual Metallica concert,…
Mandatory Music: Did you notice that when we saw them in August?
Sebastian Kwapich: I think they shouldn't do that.
Sebastian Kwapich: No, but I noticed it here because it starts off in the backing track and they're all walking on stage,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Really?
Sebastian Kwapich: but there's parts of it that keep playing throughout the song when there's the solo lead stuff.
Mandatory Music: Maybe I'm going to take a closer listen after we're done.
Sebastian Kwapich: Or maybe I just assumed it was playing. I'm not sure.
00:15:00
Mandatory Music: …
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, but it was a great song.
Mandatory Music: So, Away from Home is a Bachman Turner Overdrive song, which I didn't know. Yeah. a Canadian band.
Mandatory Music: I didn't realize these guys were on the radar of Metallica because you listen to the song,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Apparently. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: it's a deep cut off an album from 1975. And I don't know much about BTO, but I don't really recognize any songs off this record at all because I think that they've taken care of business and all that stuff. that but that was the early 70s. So again, it's track eight off of a mid70s album,…
Mandatory Music: which Lars finding these gems for them to do is an amazing thing.
Sebastian Kwapich: makes a melody for riff for the acoustics that got this upbeat groove to it that you just want to bop your head to like they did some magic with that song.
Mandatory Music: And you're right, and it was the highlight for Absolutely. it was awesome. And yeah, absolutely. Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: If there's one song you listen to,…
Mandatory Music: It was abs.
Sebastian Kwapich: listen to the Bachman Turner Overdrive cover. It's really good.
Mandatory Music: Yeah, I think so.
Mandatory Music: It was really that should have led the show. I think that one should have started the set and…
Sebastian Kwapich: I agree.
Mandatory Music: You could have flip-flopped L man's lyric away from home and I think it would have been a more energetic set. what did you think of the Sisters Rings doing the dark if Darkness had a sun stuff?
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, that was interesting. the best part of the song is that minute leadup…
Mandatory Music: Cool, right? It was pretty neat.
Sebastian Kwapich: though and they didn't play it right.
Mandatory Music: No, they did.
Sebastian Kwapich: That late.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: They did not. they played the breakdown at the very end, but they never played the cool part in the beginning,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. I mean that's the best part of the song.
Mandatory Music: which was Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: But I thought it was interesting. definitely gave it a different flavor because it was all acoustic,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Mhm.
Sebastian Kwapich: also amazing how Kirk plays lead work on an acoustic guitar, but it sounds like an electric guitar when he's doing all the lead work.
Sebastian Kwapich: I'm like, why don't I just play an electric guitar then?
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Spring grainy out.
Sebastian Kwapich: Why put an acoustic guitar there and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: have it as a more difficult time because you're using an acoustic guitar with acoustic strings to play lead work. Just bring out the electric guitar…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Right.
Sebastian Kwapich: if the tone is going to sound the same. what's the point?
Mandatory Music: Just Yeah. there is no point. So I'm with you on that.
Sebastian Kwapich: And…
Mandatory Music: But it was cool.
Sebastian Kwapich: it sounds like I'm slagging the whole concert,…
Mandatory Music: It was Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: but it was actually really good. I don't get me wrong here. So,
Mandatory Music: I enjoyed the diff because here's the thing I noticed. This is a whole overall thing with when They changed Fuel a bit.
Mandatory Music:
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, feel was completely different,…
Mandatory Music: And even the Unforgiven 2 played with three guitars and Kirk not playing the intro because he always screws up. That's why they don't one of the reasons…
Sebastian Kwapich: Unforgiven 2 was great.
Mandatory Music: why they don't play it is because he Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: Please.
Mandatory Music: He butchered it back in the 90s on the Grammys or something. So they didn't play it for years and years.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. What did he say?
Mandatory Music: but having AI play something like that.
Sebastian Kwapich: I haven't played this in 138 years or something like that. who was the third guitarist?
Mandatory Music: I do like the three guitar attack with the keys. I think their sound is a lot more full and it's a lot you can get more out of the music by having more musicians than just the four of them play which maybe five years ago it would have been like these guys don't need any more musicians but I think it was Aby Vancouver. He's sort Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: something like that. he's from a band called Goodn Night Texas. He was He was an intern at the headquarters and he just became friends with them and he's like the backup singer for all the acoustic stuff they do which is he was in most of it.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, but he played through the whole set with them like he was he cuz Yeah,…
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: Yeah, he was in most of the songs.
Sebastian Kwapich: he had that cream colored Fender type guitar in the background for a lot of the Got it.
Mandatory Music: Yeah, he was playing Telecaster, but he played the Bender on Unforgiven 2, which was really cool to allow James has to do the chords and Kirk to do the lead. and he also played on Nothing Else Matters as well.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: And a few other songs he played on, but no, he's cool. Goodn Night Texas is pretty cool. If you've never heard of them, they're kind of like a countryish bluegrass kind of vibe.
Sebastian Kwapich: I have a bunch of their songs on a couple podcasts.
Mandatory Music: They're pretty neat. But I guess moving on. Nothing else matters.
Mandatory Music: It's nothing else matters. Whatever. it's a beautiful song. it right.
Sebastian Kwapich: one of their staple songs they're always going to play,…
Sebastian Kwapich: I don't think they had enough time to play it.
Mandatory Music: And I noticed one thing. They didn't play Under Sandman, which made me happy, which I thought was pretty cool. Yeah. Yeah. or they just didn't want to.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: It's got to get boring after a while. so there's the five song acoustic set. then there was I fast forwarded through the break because I've donated all within my hands before. I'm good. I don't need to see what's going on. I just appreciate what they do. I looked at the auction of all this stuff they're auctioning. I'm like I can't afford that.
00:20:00
Sebastian Kwapich: That's got to be a pretty penny, right?
Mandatory Music: I can't afford any of this. This is cool. So electric set. That's what they do. They do they played three, six, eight songs electric. And shockingly, with an instrumental. They open with Orion, which I think it's cool. It's a cool opener.
Mandatory Music: I think they all love to play that song. It is pretty evident that they all really enjoy playing that song. I noticed that with a lot of these songs on this night that especially James, he was so loose and so into it and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, they're just having fun out there.
Mandatory Music: just they're just having a good time. But what? Okay, I lost my point earlier when I said I noticed something about this overall. So, they reworked a couple of songs and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yes. It feels a completely different song.
Mandatory Music: They added different stuff. Fuel was, skinnardesque but tuned down and slow and it was awesome. and my first thought was, why can't they do this on a record anymore? Bring these dynamics Bring in a keyboard player. bring in, guys or have more of an open mind instead of just that's 72 seasons biggest fault is it's just straight ahead and it's the same tone for the whole record and…
Sebastian Kwapich: The same tones in every one of their songs.
Mandatory Music: it's like no and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Diversified the record.
Mandatory Music: I'm like why can't this what they did with the load records like they introduced dynamics that Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: They tried things,…
Mandatory Music: and the guitars were doing different things and…
Sebastian Kwapich: .
Mandatory Music: not just everything's doubled and it's just everybody played something different which is I don't know…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. I think…
Mandatory Music: but maybe I hope so yeah basically Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: if they do another record, I think it'll be substantially different. I mean, 72 seasons was done all through Zoom basically. So there was a certain handicap in terms of what they could achieve based on how they are as a band used to writing and to totally take that away from them and force them into a different way of developing music is not ideal really. So they probably Yeah.
Mandatory Music: No, it's really not for parents with that kind of tenure either, right?
Sebastian Kwapich: So I feel like they made a lot of safe choices with 72 seasons and didn't take any risks because they couldn't afford to or…
Sebastian Kwapich: there was already enough risk going in to try to record a album through Zoom and through not being in a studio together. Although I don't actually know if they recorded it together or if they did it all at home near the end.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. …
Mandatory Music: some of it I think by the time it was done they were back together in the studio for the most part banging it out.
Sebastian Kwapich: I know they wrote the album at their own respective homes, right? But yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: I'm going to say something right now, Mike, that you're probably not going to agree with,…
Mandatory Music: .
Mandatory Music: No.
Sebastian Kwapich: but hear me out on this.
Mandatory Music: I'm hear it.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think Screaming Suicide will be a song that people originally do not like, but it will massively grow on you throughout the years.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think in about 101 15 years you're going to be like this song is freaking killer dude.
Mandatory Music: It bangs live. I don't like it, but it bangs live.
Sebastian Kwapich: That just watching them play the riffs in that song.
Sebastian Kwapich: The riffs are It's so good. I think the problem with you with you specifically is in the title of the song doesn't fit the song. It shouldn't have been called Screaming Suicide. It should have been called anything but that because it,…
Mandatory Music: Yep. No.
Mandatory Music: Anything but screaming suicide or…
Sebastian Kwapich: if they called it Fuel 2 or something, it's got a pretty Yeah.
Mandatory Music: Anything. keep me inside. that he could call it, remember you're to blame or curse another day or anything, just I don't know.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. I don't know…
Mandatory Music: I Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: why they called it that to be honest, but
Mandatory Music: I understand the subject matter of the song, but that's not one of the best titles they've ever Hey,…
Mandatory Music: they've only performed it 12 times, and we are one of the lucky few that have seen it live. Look at us.
Sebastian Kwapich: We have Yeah.
Mandatory Music: At first when I saw it, We skipped shortest straw is It's always good. It's the shortest straw. it's a Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. That's a funky song, too. some of the changes in passages in it. It's good.
Mandatory Music: it's funky. I love it. and they performed it they again,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. It didn't work.
Mandatory Music: they haven't played it in a while. I don't think they played it since the 40th, which is in 2021. And it was flawless. And then until it sleeps was the one that really cuz it was weird when we saw they were disjointed and their timing all four of them were off in different intervals at the same time.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: It was really strange. This was dialed in. They were maybe because there wasn't 70,000 people there and they're like, let's just go play the song." There was no stress.
Mandatory Music: There was no pressure. Let's just go play it. And it was good. And Lars changed the drum beat totally and it worked so well. he just changed it to straight up just rock and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, I like the song,…
Mandatory Music: groove. I'm like, where was that?" Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: but I think I'm over the song at this point.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think I'm just kind of like, I would be okay if I never heard the song again live, honestly. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. …
00:25:00
Mandatory Music: live. without a doubt. if we ever see them again,…
Mandatory Music: which it's a wei at this point because there's not going to be you or me seeing them. It's going to be a we seeing them. I'm good if it's never on the set list again. Like I was Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, maybe I did.
Mandatory Music: Was that the burnt yellow one?
Sebastian Kwapich: I have another note here, though. I really liked Rob's base in the non- acoustic set. it's a yellow burnt yellow tarnished base.
Mandatory Music: My god,…
Sebastian Kwapich: It looks so sick,…
Mandatory Music: that's so cool.
Sebastian Kwapich: That's the first thing I noticed.
Mandatory Music: Yes, that was out of all the instruments they all played, that was the coolest one.
Sebastian Kwapich: I'm like, " that base looks sick.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah. I even showed the wife.
Mandatory Music: I'm like, "That base is sick." She's like, "What?" I'm like, "Look at it." She's like, "It's all disheveled." I'm like, "I know." Yes. he goes everywhere with Greenie.
Sebastian Kwapich: And did you notice that Kirk Hammet was playing Greeny?
Sebastian Kwapich: Every concert he has it some.
Mandatory Music: He does every That thing cost him $2 million. It's not leaving his side. There's no way.
Sebastian Kwapich: For those that don't know, what is Greeny?
Mandatory Music: Greeny is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul that the pickups were wired backwards.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yes. It's one of a kind basically. Yes.
Mandatory Music: So it was a screw up and then Peter Green the original singer guitar player of Fleetwood Mac made it famous so yeah so when it's plugged in distorted it sounds all kind of funky and weird and so over the years other people have owned it and then Kirk bought it. I don't remember when. Pre-COVID maybe. Sure. But it cost him $2 million. So I know 59 less Pauls it's the holy grail of Gibson guitars. 59 is the year. they're sought after. Collectors will spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for these things. And I don't know how many of them were made in 59, but I think the 60s aren't as good and the 58s aren't as good.
Mandatory Music: It's like 15, I think. So, something like that. No big deal.
Sebastian Kwapich: beat up crap of the guitar.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: It's like the paint is falling off. There's, underneath the strings between the two pickup, it looks like it's worn out, but it's just a note here.
Mandatory Music: Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: So, the guitar is known for its unique out ofphase tone, which is a result of a reversed magnet in the neck pickup. The sound has become highly sought after amongst guitar players,…
Sebastian Kwapich: so much that the flipping the magnet in the neck pickup has been affectionately referred to as the Peter Green mod. The Gibson custom shop produced two limited runs of Greenie replicas in 2010 and 2022 respectively before the guitar was added to Gibson's core lineup in 2023. So you can buy it as a core guitar now, but the one that Kirk Hammet owns is the one originally screwed up.
Mandatory Music: There you go.
Mandatory Music: It's the OG.
Sebastian Kwapich: So it's beat up, man.
Mandatory Music: I think it's kind of ugly. I love less Paul. So I think I don't like I don't know.
Sebastian Kwapich: It looks like something you find at the garage.
Mandatory Music: It's not my favorite Les Paul of all time.
Sebastian Kwapich: No. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: So that's just me. But it's an amazing guitar. All the history that's involved and the fact that he plays it on stage like every show is crazy.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Does he buy a se?
Mandatory Music: He just takes it everywhere he goes. I'm…
Sebastian Kwapich: I guess they charger their own plane at this point, but yeah,…
Mandatory Music: Yes. I'm sure it's got its own seat beside him on the plane,…
Sebastian Kwapich: that's what I was going to say. It's sitting right next to him on Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: And I did hear a rumor that guitar was originally offered to James and he said, "No, thank you. I'm good." …
Sebastian Kwapich: because he's not paying $2 million for a guitar.
Mandatory Music: He's got some guitars that are worth a lot of money.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, pro. you're probably right.
Mandatory Music: He's like you can't see it, but I got his Messengers book about all his guitars and some of them are they just for the Ken Lawrence one stuff. it's an insane amount of money they cost. But yeah, they play both. Whatever. they've earned everything they got.
Mandatory Music: So, moving on. Screaming Suicide. Like I said, I don't like the song,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, it was a really good life,…
Mandatory Music: but it bangs live. It really does. it was good. it had a lot of energy.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: It was good. And obviously everybody knew they're going to play something from 72. part of me was hoping for Room of Mirrors just to test it out.
Sebastian Kwapich: No, he was really wanting in Marada.
Mandatory Music: No, I No, I didn't want Inorado at all. I wanted Room of Mirrors just for fun, but they didn't do it. So it's comfortable.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. It was actually really good,…
Mandatory Music: They played it all year, whatever. And then they played the song they haven't played in 130 whatever 84 or whatever years it was the Unforgiven 2 which they've played it a total of seven times and…
Sebastian Kwapich: it sounded great. I like that song. I don't
Mandatory Music: I think it's fabulous man. it's an amazing song. Like it I think it's better than one and it's way better than three.
Mandatory Music: I think it is awesome and Reload.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, they kind of So,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Metallica recorded Unforgiven for the Black album. They did Unforgiven 2. It was Reload. And then they did Unforgiven 3 off of Death Mechanic, I think.
00:30:00
Mandatory Music: Yes, sir.
Sebastian Kwapich: But I think the mistake was doing Unforgiven 3, I'm not sure if when James wrote the first Unforgiven…
Sebastian Kwapich: if it was planned that it was a three-part song, but it loses the effect of what the second one achieves, Because the second one is an echo of the first one. So, the parts of the verse that are clean guitar are reversed in the other version. Right?
Mandatory Music: Yes. Love it.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. I love it.
Sebastian Kwapich: So they do a flip of that, So when it comes to the chorus for the unforgiven,…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: it's all heavy guitar and unforgiven 2, it's clean guitar for the chorus, So it works so well as an echo of the first one and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Three just three just Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: what are you supposed to do with the third one? It just feels like it was just unnecessary, Culmination of the story.
Mandatory Music: lyrically I get it. it was the conclusion of the story, but maybe could have saved it…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, but Not a lot.
Mandatory Music: I don't know till the end of the career and just do it on whatever record. But they played it seven times. So they premiered it December 8th, 1997 at the Billboard Music Awards and Kirk played it totally out of key and they didn't play.
Sebastian Kwapich: Good.
Mandatory Music: And if you haven't,…
Sebastian Kwapich: That just goes back to my point.
Mandatory Music: check it out. It's awful.
Sebastian Kwapich: I feel he just doesn't care or…
Mandatory Music: No, I don't know.
Sebastian Kwapich: doesn't prepare on the level of the other three guys.
Mandatory Music: Whatever he did it, it didn't sound good. And then they didn't play it again till May of 2015. They played it one,…
Mandatory Music: two, three, four, five times then and they just played it the other night.
Sebastian Kwapich: Is that…
Sebastian Kwapich: how long it took Kirk to learn the part for this?
Mandatory Music: The funny thing is he didn't have to do that. I don't think he did that part. Think Aby did it.
Sebastian Kwapich: Boy.
Mandatory Music: Yeah, whatever. It's all good. the three guitar attack. They made it work. It's …
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: why not, right? So, then we get to Fuel, which because I knew it was a weird version and this was my highlight of the night for me.
Sebastian Kwapich: it's up there.
Mandatory Music: James came out rocking some weirdo Dan Electro guitar and…
Mandatory Music: I'm like, " this is going to be tuned down." And I just wanted to hear him noodle on that thing. Just give me 10 minutes. Just him just doing whatever. just being creative on that guitar and just playing in some weird open tuning. man, that's another thing.
Sebastian Kwapich: It's kind of bluegrassy as well,…
Mandatory Music: Totally was.
Sebastian Kwapich: but it's such a different song. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: It was really And they still added some of the main stays of the song in there, slower. And they need to actually put that out and…
Mandatory Music: release it and have it.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think so.
Sebastian Kwapich: It sounds great. That version specifically.
Mandatory Music: And then I thought and I'm like,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, you'd be first in line to buy that record.
Mandatory Music: man, they could do a whole record of them reimagining songs do their own song. Dude, It'd be so amazing to have them just like I know they did the SNM one and…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah,…
Mandatory Music: two, but to have this just completely bluegrass it or, skardize it whatever floats your Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: it's definitely scared.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: And that,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Try something.
Mandatory Music: And that's the Metallica I miss. I really do that one that they're just willing to take a chance. Try something.
Sebastian Kwapich: Try something that's not Metallica,…
Mandatory Music: Take a risk. And if it blows up in your face,…
Sebastian Kwapich: You'll be fine.
Mandatory Music: you're the biggest band on the planet. Who cares? It'll be okay.
Sebastian Kwapich: You'll be just fine.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Right. So, yeah, Fuel was awesome. And again, they had the keys in it to make it sort of that organ kind of sound and…
Mandatory Music: it just right out of the early sentence.
Sebastian Kwapich: …
Sebastian Kwapich: I gotta say though, I really like the color palette of his guitar,…
Sebastian Kwapich: of James' guitar. it's that kind of like cloudy sunburst dark gray. it's such a good looking guitar that he uses for Fuel.
Mandatory Music: And it looked and…
Mandatory Music: it looked really weird on him too…
Sebastian Kwapich: Looks so small.
Mandatory Music: because it did Yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: it didn't look because he's used to carrying these Explorer chunky guitars, big bodied guitars. And maybe it's because the head of the guitar was so small and…
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: I think so.
Sebastian Kwapich: usually it's like a thick head…
Mandatory Music: I think.
Sebastian Kwapich: where it's like all the tuning knobs are and…
Mandatory Music: Yeah. I just want to see…
Sebastian Kwapich: it was tiny so it looks awkward.
Sebastian Kwapich: But yes,…
Mandatory Music: if I can find that guitar. it's a Longhorn bar. I knew It was a Longhorn baritone guitar. $15,000 and…
Sebastian Kwapich: you can get it at the charity auction for $15,000 minimum. But actually,…
Mandatory Music: a divorce. okay.
Sebastian Kwapich: don't even know if it is that much, but I was looking at some of the prices for the auctioning. So, he has the guitar,…
Sebastian Kwapich: the brown one with their faces on it, it looks like the wooden one.
Mandatory Music: Yep. yeah.
Mandatory Music: Yep. my god.
Sebastian Kwapich: 32 grand American obviously. his burnt base is there. it's not the burnt one, but He's got a yellow base.
Mandatory Music: Okay.
Sebastian Kwapich: The acoustic one he used at the first set.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Jeez Louise.
Sebastian Kwapich: 25 grand. Yeah, it's
Mandatory Music: So that's a baritone guitar. So, it's thicker strings,…
Mandatory Music: deeper tone. It was in the key of B. That's why it sounded so cool.
Sebastian Kwapich: Boy.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. boy is right.
Sebastian Kwapich: And we all know Metallica lives 97% of the songs in the key of E or…
Mandatory Music: And yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: E flat depending on…
Mandatory Music: and I think that's another fun thing that they strayed away from B flat.
Sebastian Kwapich: how they feel about Jason James voices that voice that day. Yeah, for those that don't know,…
00:35:00
Mandatory Music: They just moved away from it. And that just makes me happy to see them sort of, just expand those horizons. You only got so much time. Just do it.
Sebastian Kwapich: the six string is usually tuned to E.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: And palm muting the six string, where you take your right hand and you actually mute it near the bridge of the guitar to give it a muffled sound, is like a staple iconic sound of heavy metal and thrash music.
Mandatory Music: Totally.
Sebastian Kwapich: So that's why a lot of heavy metal like mega death metallica a lot of songs are written in E…
Sebastian Kwapich: because you need that palm muting droney note thing. So yeah, Iron Maiden is different as a metal band because they use a lot of different keys.
Mandatory Music: You totally do.
Mandatory Music: And I'm pretty sure Adrian plays a step down now and…
Sebastian Kwapich: They don't use a lot of open sounds which is interesting. maybe.
Mandatory Music: the other guys play standard and he plays the sort of to accent the bass a little bit. But we're not talking about Iron Maiden.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Very first song they ever wrote.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: No, we're not. so moving on Only two songs Hit the Lights. They wrote Jeff Aean for Pearl Jam came out to jam.
Sebastian Kwapich: 161 17.
Mandatory Music: He played a 12 string bass which you couldn't hear it anyway.
Sebastian Kwapich: Can't hear it,…
Mandatory Music: You couldn't hear Rob either. So, whatever that song it's it I don't understand.
Sebastian Kwapich: Why do you need a 12 string bass?
Sebastian Kwapich: What's the purpose of a 12 string bass? There's so many low strings. I guess the thicker sound,…
Sebastian Kwapich: but weird.
Mandatory Music: I think it's the normal size strings and…
Mandatory Music: the smaller ones underneath it. It just seems dumb. I don't understand. I don't get It just doesn't make any sense. Especially in a thrash song,…
Sebastian Kwapich: I mean, you do get a really bassy sound in that song, though. I like it's very thick.
Mandatory Music: There's two bass players playing.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, it did.
Mandatory Music: So, it was thick. Maybe that's why I liked it so much because that it had a lot of meat to it.
Sebastian Kwapich: It was pretty meaty. Yes. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: Yeah. that song's always good live. It's quick.
Sebastian Kwapich: There's a time where they hated playing it or…
Mandatory Music: They did when we saw them in the 90s.
Sebastian Kwapich: would not play it because they felt like…
Mandatory Music: They just didn't like playing it. yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: because they weren't there yet musically in terms of theory on how to write a song. So, it's like the first song they wrote.
Mandatory Music: Let's see. Last song is the greatest closing song for a concert.
Mandatory Music: There's no one in this set either, which I thought was kind of cool,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Hey man,…
Mandatory Music: There was 13 total.
Sebastian Kwapich: it's only 10 to How many songs they have? 12 songs. Yeah, there's a lot to choose from,…
Mandatory Music: So it was nice to see Sandman and…
Sebastian Kwapich: right? …
Mandatory Music: one get the boot for a night just because he had what?
Sebastian Kwapich: yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: The Fuel reimagining Unforgiven two until sleep, short of straw, away from home, helpless, low man's lyric. That's the bulk of the night was not, normal quote unquote what you'd see on tour. So yeah, good for them. I loved it as usual. I think last year you had to donate to All With My Hands to be able to watch it or something like that. of course I did.
Sebastian Kwapich: I think you're right.
Mandatory Music: I did. Of course. It was on YouTube whatever the week later,…
Mandatory Music: but I'm not waiting. I want to watch this and I did and it was pretty cool. yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, it's nice to see them not take it too seriously as well…
Mandatory Music: It's fun. Yes. Yeah.
Sebastian Kwapich: because I mean we have seen James and…
Sebastian Kwapich: I highlighted this earlier in the podcast, but we've seen him be angry so many times when things don't go his way. look at the Grammys where his mic wasn't working when he was with Lady Gaga and…
Mandatory Music: Yes, you did.
Mandatory Music: No, get over yourself.
Sebastian Kwapich: he's so pissed off, But I mean,…
Mandatory Music: They made the song better anyway, so whatever,…
Sebastian Kwapich: yeah. I mean, you'll remember it for the rest of your life,…
Mandatory Music: right? Yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: But just to have him be so carefree about things is just a different side of him to see.
Mandatory Music: Yep. Just let it go.
Sebastian Kwapich: So, yeah.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: Just let it go. I guess it's maybe they listen to Sanitarium from Edmonton and they realize, hey, what? this isn't the end of the world.
Sebastian Kwapich: We won't talk about that. my goodness..
Mandatory Music: So, it's all good if we make mistakes. And I think they're actually at the point…
Mandatory Music: where they can own it. So, yeah, that's it.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: Yeah, go check it out. It's on YouTube, Metallica's channel. Or you want to watch crappy fan film with a phone, go ahead. But they pro shot it. And I do want to hide one thing. the backdrop which was really cool but it reminded me I don't know if you've seen Get Back by the Beatles that No.
Sebastian Kwapich: No, I haven't yet. Interesting.
Mandatory Music: So when they're recording part of Let It Be by the Beatles. I'm sorry. My bad. Let it be. So when they're recording Let It Be in this big sort of sound stage, the backdrop looks exactly the Obviously not as fancy because it's 1969, but it's the same color scheme that Metallica had. And I'm like, " that's very Beatles." I'm like, "I thought that was kind of cool." it was neat. But then of course the screens turn on and they do all the fun stuff. You're like, "Yeah, okay, never mind. This is a huge step up." But yeah, it's just fun watching your favorite band play live.
00:40:00
Mandatory Music: It's just No,…
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah, they didn't really use much of the backdrop for the first acoustic set part,…
Sebastian Kwapich: but …
Mandatory Music: it was Yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: when they came out with all that electric equipment, then they really Yeah.
Mandatory Music: it was good. they utilized it and yeah, it was a fun 13 songs. When you told me, I'm like, "God, this is three hours." can just fast forward for an hour.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yeah.
Mandatory Music: There's an intermission. It's all good. It's not terribly long. And yeah,…
Sebastian Kwapich: It's 3:01, but the concert I don't think starts until the 78th or 79th minute of the stream.
Mandatory Music: at first I was like,…
Sebastian Kwapich: So, yeah,…
Mandatory Music: my god, they play for three hours." I'm like, "No, that's not possible." Then I'm like, " I remember watching it last year when it was like, "Okay, can we get the show going,…
Sebastian Kwapich: there's a big talk for an hour and a half before.
Mandatory Music: please? Because I want to watch it now." whatever.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Yes.
Mandatory Music:
Mandatory Music: But Go check it out. it's fun. If you're into Metallica, you probably watched it already. And if not, YouTube is your friend, it's all good. And it is Christmas time. And obviously, not everybody celebrates Christmas, but whatever you whatever you celebrate or if it's just being with family, this is the time to be with your family. Of course, I'm hiding out downstairs. you're sitting here alone as well. So, we should get back to being with our family and, give your parents a gigantic hug for me because I love them to death.
Mandatory Music: Your mom and dad they are the greatest.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yes.
Sebastian Kwapich: Yeah. Happy Hanukkah.
Mandatory Music: They're the greatest people, I've loved them for a long time. So, yeah, make sure you give them a hug for me. And yeah, it's the happy holidays, merry Christmas, whatever you do. It's happy Hanukkah, whatever. Yeah. and just be with your family. Yes. This is the time of year for it.
Sebastian Kwapich: And don't stress too much.
Mandatory Music: No. Mhm.
Sebastian Kwapich: I know Christmas and shopping and all that kind of could be a big stressor and…
Mandatory Music: Yep.
Sebastian Kwapich: you want things to go right and a certain way, but they often don't. And just be okay with it. It's not about that. the people that really care about you don't really care about certain aspects of they just want to be there for you and…
Mandatory Music: No. Y absolutely.
Sebastian Kwapich: just want family to be there for you as well. So yeah, it's not about the presence. It's not about anything other than just celebrating with friends and family.
Mandatory Music: No. Absolutely.
Sebastian Kwapich: All right.
Mandatory Music: See you later.
Sebastian Kwapich: We'll see you later.
Mandatory Music: Sorry, there's more buttons to hit now.
Sebastian Kwapich: We got our nose button
Meeting ended after 00:42:30 👋
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