Latest news with #MetallicaSavedMyLife
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tom Dunne: I'm delighted to see that Mandatory Metallica Weekend is back in my life
Metallica are coming. Two dates back-to-back in June 2026 with two completely different sets each night. A sound system that has set off seismic warnings and new meaning to 360-degree viewing. 2024 had Taylor, 2025 will be Oasis, 2026 will belong to Metallica. Quite how big Metallica are was revealed to me back in 1997. Something Happens were on an East Coast US tour, during the good old days when it didn't really matter who the president was, at least not by today's standards. It was Bill Clinton, seeing as you asked. The nadir of his presidency was a forthright declaration of 'I did not have sex with that woman.' It turned out the definition of what constituted 'sex' was a moot point. A stained dress said otherwise. Today, it looks like small potatoes. He wasn't exactly threatening Canada. We did that tour in a proper old-fashioned van, the type David Grohl says all bands must spend time if they want to be a 'real' band. A splitter van with the equipment in the back section and the band, forlorn and uncomfortable up front, behind the driver. To heighten our discomfort our driver/roadie/soundman was a Metallica fan. But he had a special skill: No matter where we were he could find a radio station playing Metallica. Sometimes stations that played ONLY Metallica! The phrase 'It's another Mandatory Metallica Weekend' haunts me still. It made for an interesting time. I came to realise that Metallica are not a band. They are a religion, a way of life, a universe. The new documentary Metallica Saved My Life, that accompanies the M72 world tour says it all. Fans tell their stories and yes, Metallica sometimes literally saved their lives. They are a fascinating band. Lars Ulrich – Metallica's Larry Mullen, the man who posted the note seeking like-minded souls – came to LA from Denmark to hopefully become a professional tennis player like his dad and his dad before him. It was a Deep Purple gig, aged 12, that scuppered that plan. The ad attracted the attention of James Hetfield. Hetfield's family were Christian Scientists and disapproved of modern medicine and medical treatments. When his mum fell ill with cancer she did not seek treatment. It's interesting that he (at 16), John Lennon (at 17), Paul McCartney (at 14), Bono (at 14) and Ray Charles (at 15) all lost their mums at that crucial part of their growing up. Hetfield's revisiting of that time ( The God that Failed and Until it Sleeps) produced some of Metallica's most powerful work. They also had a small Pete Best moment. Pete was famously dismissed from The Beatles and replaced with Ringo just as EMI dangled a contract. In 1981, as Metallica prepared to record their debut they fired guitarist Dave Mustaine, citing his issues with drink and drugs. They replaced him – on the same day – with Kirk Hammett, who is still with them. It's worth noting that Mustaine did not do a Pete Best and disappear from view. He set out to get revenge and formed Megadeath, who have since sold 50 million albums. Some might say it was the motivation he needed. Since then, there has been tragedy – the death of bassist Cliff Burton in a bus crash after they had drawn straws for bunks – and controversy a go-go. But with hindsight, those controversies look more the result of great wisdom with every passing day. Their first was a run in with the nascent Napster. Metallica were one of the very first bands to discover that their entire back catalogue was being disseminated for free. Their threat to 'sue fans' was a bad look in 2001. But at this point with streaming destroying livelihoods, I'm not so sure. Their second was the decision in 2002 to get in therapists during the recording of the St Anger album. Hetfield had gone into rehab and relations were strained in the band. Some saw seeking help as a sign of weakness amongst such apparently rock-hard men. Well, how very 20th century of those people. If I had a penny for every band whose lifespan was shortened or whose creative output was destroyed by intra-band tensions, grudges, immaturities, substance abuse, or pure pig-headedness, I would have a lot of pennies. The Clash to name but one. It is a testament to that wisdom that Metallica will be one of the music events of 2026. I for one can't wait. Mandatory Metallica, I have missed you.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pickup truck crashes into home — family credits Metallica with saving them
A Virginia teen thanked Metallica for saving her parents' lives when a pickup truck crashed into her family's home earlier this month. David and Kristin McKee, along with their 14-year-old daughter Madeleine, had gone to bed earlier than usual on May 6 to rest up for the band's concert at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium the following day. The couple said they typically stay up late watching television in the living room — the very part of the house the truck plowed into just hours after they went to bed. '(I asked David,) 'Do you wanna sit up?' And he was like, 'Nah, I think I just wanna go on to bed.' I said, 'I'll go on to bed too,'' Kristin McKee told local station WDBJ7. 'Then, just a few hours later, we heard a loud explosion, glass shattered. It was just madness from that point on.' Kristin continued, 'We were so fortunate that, that night, my daughter could have walked down that hallway and found us in the rubble. I thank God every day, and Metallica, for saving us.' Madeleine, who became a devoted Metallica fan after the Bay Area metal band's music was featured in the hit Netflix series 'Stranger Things,' later emailed the group. 'You saved my parents' lives, I will be forever grateful,' she wrote. 'Good luck with the rest of your tour, and hope to see you on the road.' While the family missed the concert due to the incident, they credit the timing of Metallica's tour with sparing them from tragedy. They also happened to miss what has been dubbed 'Metallica Quake.' The May 7 concert they were supposed to go to drew more than 60,000 fans and triggered minor seismic activity that was detected a mile away. The tremor posed no danger and was too small to register on the Richter scale. The McKees' home is undergoing repairs, and they hope to return within six months. Oddly, last month, Metallica announced a forthcoming documentary titled 'Metallica Saved My Life,' directed by 'Lords of Chaos' filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund. The film will spotlight personal stories from fans around the world and feature all four band members, along with actor Jason Momoa. Metallica's ongoing M72 World Tour, in support of their latest album 72 Seasons, is set to reach Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on June 20 and 22.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica's ‘Enter Sandman' at Sold-Out Virginia Tech Concert Sparks Seismic Activity
Metallica played their first concert at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium Wednesday, where the crowd's rapturous reaction to 'Enter Sandman' — which has doubled as the Hokies football team's intro music for the past half-century — triggered the Richter scale. The Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory measured the sold-out crowd's response to the Black Album classic, with singer James Hetfield prompting the performance with a chant of 'Hokies! Let's Go!' When the 60,000-person crowd started jumping up and down when Lars Ulrich's drum beat kicked in, the movement was enough magnitude to create a noticeable spike on the seismograph equivalent to a 'small' but prolonged earthquake: More from Rolling Stone Metallica Announce Deluxe 'Load' Reissue With More Than 30 Hours of Music Metallica, Billy Joel Docs, Miley Cyrus Visual Album Lead 2025 Tribeca's Music-Heavy Lineup 'Metallica Saved My Life' Documentary Teaser Celebrates Four Decades of Fandom Family For the past 25 years, 'Enter Sandman' has served as the soundtrack for when the Hokies football team run out onto their home field on gameday, and according to Hokies Daily, even the fans' reaction to the recorded version of the track has shaken the seismograph, like before big matchups versus Miami in 2011 and Ohio State in 2021. Like the football team, Metallica themselves took the stage to a prerecorded version of 'Enter Sandman' before closing out the concert with the actual performance of the track. 'Experiencing that live, the actual band playing it rather than the games because we already get hyped from the games themselves, but hearing Metallica playing in the stadium live, it's awesome, man,' Virginia Tech junior Luke Dalton told ABC News 13. Prior to the band's first-ever concert at Lane Stadium, Metallica met with Hokies football coach Brent Pry, who presented them with the team's jerseys with the numbers 25 (for how long 'Enter Sandman' has been the intro music) and 72, to mark their current M72 Tour. 'It all starts with 'Enter Sandman,'' Pry told Hokies Daily. 'There's no better entrance in college football.' ('Enter Sandman,' notably, was previously the intro music for Hall of Fame New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.) Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica, Billy Joel Docs, Miley Cyrus Visual Album Lead 2025 Tribeca's Music-Heavy Lineup
The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival will feature a music-heavy film lineup that includes new documentaries about Metallica and Billy Joel, as well as the premiere of Miley Cyrus' Something Beautiful visual album. In addition to the previously announced Metallica Saved My Life and Billy Joel: And So It Goes — which will also feature an 'intimate performance' by the Piano Man himself after the festival-opening premiere — this year's Tribeca will also documentaries like Depeche Mode: M, Billy Idol Should Be Dead (followed by an Idol performance), Wizkid: Long Live Lagos, Still Free TC about Ty Dolla $ign and his incarcerated brother, and Rebbeca (AKA Becky G) about the Latin music superstar. More from Rolling Stone Emotional Oranges Tap Becky G, Jessie Reyez to 'Fuck Shit Up' in Sexy 'Candy Gum' Video Depeche Mode Announce Concert Film Documenting 'Memento Mori' Mexico City Gigs 'Metallica Saved My Life' Documentary Teaser Celebrates Four Decades of Fandom Family Eddie Vedder's Matter of Time — about the Pearl Jam singer's fight to cure epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare and often fatal genetic disease — will also premiere at Tribeca, where it will be followed by an acoustic performance by Vedder. The Sixth Borough, a documentary about Long Island's hip-hop scene, will feature a post-screening performance by LI's own De La Soul and Rakim. Other music docs include Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, Just Sing about USC's SoCal VoCals a cappella group, Culture Club about Boy George's group, Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? and Sun Ra: Do the Impossible about the jazz legend. The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival takes place June 4 to 15 in New York City. Tickets for the fest go on sale to the general public starting April 29; check the festival's website for ticket information. 'Tribeca has always been more than a festival—it's a home for artists navigating an ever-changing industry and an ever-changing world,' Tribeca Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement. 'For over two decades, we've championed emerging voices, celebrated established storytellers, and built a creative community where artists can grow, connect, and thrive. We're proud of the ecosystem we've cultivated and can't wait to share it with the world this June.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica Unveil Trailer and Announce Screenings for Documentary Metallica Saved My Life
The post Metallica Unveil Trailer and Announce Screenings for Documentary Metallica Saved My Life appeared first on Consequence. Metallica have unveiled a trailer and announced sneak-preview screenings of a new fan-centric documentary, Metallica Saved My Life. The Jonas Åkerlund-directed film will be screened in theaters in each city (except Columbus, Ohio) along Metallica's upcoming North American tour. Tickets are limited to two per person and are available via this location. Additional screenings could be added in case of a sell-out, and a widespread release of the full documentary is expected later this year. Get Metallica Tickets Here Stated the band on its website: 'As a few of you may know, we've been working behind the scenes the last couple of years on a new film that will be released later this year starring you guys! Metallica Saved My Life explores our world through the lives of fans who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials, and triumphs for over four decades. And yeah, we're in it a little bit too.' The members of Metallica were interviewed for the documentary, as seen in the trailer, along with 'a shitload of Metallica fans' from around the world who open up about their personal experience and journey with the band's music. Filmmaker and metalhead Jonas Åkerlund is a long-time colleague of the band, having worked on music videos for 'Turn the Page,' 'Whiskey In the Jar,' and 'ManUNkind.' A former drummer for Swedish black metal legends Bathory, Åkerlund's other major directorial credits include the black metal biopic Lords of Chaos, plus countless music videos for major rock and metal artists such Queens of the Stone Age, Ozzy Osbourne, Rammstein, and more. Fans planning to attend Metallica's upcoming concerts now have a couple things to do in each city before the gig, as the band also announced that it will be partnering with the American Red Cross to host blood drives along the US stops on the tour. The trek is set to kick off April 19th in Syracuse, New York, with dates running through late June. Get tickets here. Metallica Unveil Trailer and Announce Screenings for Documentary Metallica Saved My Life Jon Hadusek Popular Posts Kanye West Says Wife Bianca Censori Left Him After Trying to Get Him Committed South Park Tackles Diddy, Ketamine, and Canada in Trailer for Season 27: Watch Bill Burr Confronted Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder at SNL50: "I Hated Your Band" Liam Neeson Lets It All Hang Out in New Trailer for The Naked Gun Reboot: Watch Perry Farrell Didn't Want "Boy Band" Green Day on 1994 Lollapalooza Billy McFarland's Fyre Fest 2 Permit Only Allows for a 12-Hour Listening Party with 250 People Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
