Satan's Luau

MTV ICON: Metallica - A Fan's Perspective:

My approach is gonna be chopsuey ... so everything's normal ... ha

SUM41: Wow, these guys did a really good job with their medley of For Whom the Bell Tolls, Enter Sandman, and Master of Puppets --- their lead actually pulled off the solo ... YEAH

I guess the unfortunate thing for them is that Metallica made its way through the crowd during their playing ... which stole their thunder, but who are we TRIBUTING anyways ... good job, Sum41 ... the Luau knew you had it in you

Ok here's my first minor complaint of the night: choice of presenters ... Lisa Marie Presley ... uhhh yeah, WTF!?!?!?!

She would introduce probably the documentary segment of the night --- the Jason issue ... I guess it was really hard watching that segment because I really liked Jason a lot ... it was really enlightening ... I think finally the fans got most of the story as to why Jason left the band in January 2001

Ok, now some people in the audience said they got a Beavis and Butthead cartoon before Staind totally HACKED up Nothing Else Matters ... but you know what?!?!?!? ... never made the final cut ... I feel SO CHEATED!!! ... ha right

Staind: JCWTF was that?!?!?!?!? Can we play the song a bit tighter, and can you stop it with the I'm on the outside, I'm looking as if nothing else mattersssss ... the first CHOKE of the night

Avril LaVigne: Fuel ... well, despite the fact that the lead totally HACKED the solo ... this was a credible and heavy sounding Fuel ... poor little Av just can't get the right grit to it, her voice is too sweet sounding even when she tries to ape it heavy ... not a choke, but EHHHHHHHH

Snoop Dogg: Sad But True ... ok, if you saw it, he tried to SING it ... SING it ... stick to rapping, you're one of my favorites ...as for a singer, YIKESSSS, a commercial for Oxy10 please save us

Ok, let's say that the documentary segments were solid ... and focused primarily on 2001 on so James' rehab and signs in the lyrics... which is fine, I think that it really brings Metallica current with the average music fan

Again, the presenter problem ... Chester from LP and Travis from Blink ... umm, I'm having a hard time believing you guys were influenced by the boys ... right guys ... sure

Korn: One ... I think I liked this cover as best of the bunch ... they gave a good tribute to an essential song in the canon ... thumbs up to Jon and the boys

Again presenters ... Michelle Branch?!?!?!?!? MTV, cut the crap
The Marines just back from Iraq she presented were cool though, good speech by one of them about how rock music helps you when you're away and have a mission to do ... nice crowd reaction too ... this was nice

Documentary on the Black Album: nothing we haven't seen or heard before as fans ... but when I think about it 1991 is 12 years AGO ... most of MTV's audience was not born or barely out of diapers, again TEACH TEACH TEACH, push push push Metallica, can't complain with that

This comedian guy came out and impersonated James and Lars ... kinda lame shtick, I mean, who can't impersonate these guys besides the mute ... ha ... his song was even lamer ... go away!

Ok then they herded up some fans and pressed mic to face asking them to
describe Metallica in a word ... kick ass, influential, orgasmic, loyalty, adrenaline, rebellion ... uh huh, so what ... they should have had a fan's DOCUMENTARY segment, this was a pretty lame use of the fans

Fred's band of renown ... heavy editing, was that BOOS I heard .... they did Welcome Home Sanitarium ... it was really a mixed bag to me ... everything that totally pisses me off about LB and their music was done ... I mean there is a point where the song kind of gets unrecognizable ... they played it straight toward the end, but by that time I was totally annoyed ... in the words of the song: JUST LEAVE ME ALONEEEE!!!!! ... go away

Metallica: WOW, they really blew the roof off with this performance ... everything that I love about the band was there ... and Rob, well Rob fits in really well --- great bass player, great vibe

Nice choice of songs on the medley: Hit the Lights, Sandman, Blackened, Creeping Death, and Battery ... the song choices are odd in that its only from the heavier faster thrash pre-1991 period ... but I really DUG it heavily

Ok, then James came out and said some nice words, really touching stuff ... and then they headed into FRANTIC off St. Anger ... we didn't get the full song because of MTV knowing how to edit sooo good ... ha, you piss me off ...ARGGGH

It's a really nuts song, from the machine gun riffing at the beginning to the Meshuggah sounding early riff (whoa, that one threw me for a loop) then that HEAVY core riff and the drumming, I thought Lars was going to explode into bloody bits .... tempo changes galore ... weird vocal effects, and soft parts ... this song looks hella promising

Now I really can't wait til June 10th!!!

And despite some of its really FORCED aspects like incorporating Shannon Elizabeth, et al. .... Thanks MTV, you guys did a good job especially with the documentary work --- that was the second coolest thing, well next to a punishing performance by the boys

(Images courtesy and (c) Metallica.com)