Metallica play Worthy Farm
June 29, 2014 5:01 AM   Subscribe

This weekend is the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts for 2014. Amongst a diverse range of musical and artistic acts the Saturday headline, a surprising choice to many, was Metallica. They came, they wandered around a bit beforehand, they did their greatest hits, they were LOUD.

Before taking the stage, a short film by Julien Temple formed a tribute to Eli Wallach, and addressed the hunting petition against James Hetfield and Metallica performing.

The performance reviews are starting to appear. The Telegraph, Metro, Guardian, BBC, Virtual Festivals, and the Chicago Tribune.
posted by Wordshore (37 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
If you can access the bbc iplayer, most of the band's performances can be watched in full for the next month or so. Line-up.
posted by dng at 5:11 AM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


They came, they wandered around a bit beforehand, they did their greatest hits

I believe Caesar once related a similar experience.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:12 AM on June 29, 2014 [15 favorites]


That blaze site was a bit... odd. The commenters seem to think Glastonbury is in the US and is ranting about putting petitioners in camps.
posted by effbot at 5:14 AM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


That picture of Trujillo in the Telegraph. Wow. You couldn't get that if you paid a hundred artists to produce a hundred caricatures.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:19 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Really missing not being at Glasto this year, the BBCs (online) coverage is amazing though. I think there's six stages streaming live throughout the day without one inane Radio 1 or 2 presenter getting in the way.

Not sure how long the full sets will be up but definitely worth a few days digging through it all.
posted by brilliantmistake at 5:28 AM on June 29, 2014


That blaze site was a bit... odd.

It's owned by Glenn Beck.
posted by empath at 6:36 AM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


That blaze site was a bit... odd.

It's owned by Glenn Beck.


Argh; dammit :( Would have chosen a different site if known that; looked at several and they seemed, regarding the petition, even more lacking in detail.

One day I'll do an FPP that doesn't include something I regret later. One day.
posted by Wordshore at 6:49 AM on June 29, 2014


Watched a bit on Friday night - watched the stage being set up for Lykke Li. It was ace watching the set-up - with the set, the dark and the smoke it looked a bit Alien-ish, and was frankly some of the best tv I have seen in ages. Then the gig started and Lykke Li was awesome.

Switched over and watched the start of Skrillex - started with a 5 minute countdown on the screens at the side which just went on way too long, and then started with some tune which was a bit lame, changed to something else which had a bit of life to it (and which he should have opened with) but it all got too choppy and changey so we turned over to Arcade Fire!

Hilariously, after all the complaints about the amount and cost of the Beeb's coverage last time, they have increased it!
posted by marienbad at 6:49 AM on June 29, 2014


It was going to be Prince instead of Metallica - but during negotiations some rumours to hat effect got out onto the Internet and his Purpleness pulled out because he thought Eavis had done that deliberately. (Which he hadn't - the last thing Glasto needs is drum up publicity through cheap tricks...).

A call-in listener on 6 Music was talking about this "I got really excited about Prince, that'd be a bit of a show. But now, what we got? Idiots."

Vox populi, mate, vox populi.
posted by Devonian at 7:02 AM on June 29, 2014


Hilariously, after all the complaints about the amount and cost of the Beeb's coverage last time, they have increased it!

There's not enough of it. The BBC has two channels live right now plus the ability to stream more via the red button, but what have we got on at the moment? Helicopter Heroes and athletics from Birmingham.
posted by Summer at 7:10 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


BBC iPlayer only works in the UK so I guess I'll have to wait for the torrent sites to hear some of these sets.
posted by Ber at 7:31 AM on June 29, 2014


I like this. It's silly (but predictable) that this "diverse" festival would welcome Robert Plant and the Rolling Stones, but turn up their nose at Metallica. And then be surprised when they put on a good show. It's not an accident that they've sold 4 hundred million gazillion albums. They made some really, really good music that just happens to be heavy metal. Yet people still think, "ooh, Metallica, no, I don't like that kind of heavy metal music." Bullshit.
posted by gueneverey at 8:19 AM on June 29, 2014 [9 favorites]


Out of the things I've watched so far, The Daptone Super Soul Revue is the best. It's two hours of almost non-stop bloody brilliance. The song at about one hour fifteen minutes in that goes on and on and on is incredible.
posted by dng at 8:25 AM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


Having just checked, that song is Sare Kon Kon by Antibalas. And a wonderful thing it is too.
posted by dng at 8:44 AM on June 29, 2014


BBC iPlayer only works in the UK so I guess I'll have to wait for the torrent sites to hear some of these sets.

Firefox; media hint add on. 'Nuff said.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:58 AM on June 29, 2014


Indeed gueneverey. Why is metal not welcome at a self-declared eclectic festival? Does eclectic only include some categories but not others? Maybe they're not obscure enough. I'm sure Strapping Young Lad instead would have gone over great with the nose-turning-up clique.

I've seen Metallica live several times. I'm not as much of a fan as I used to be, but they're one of the best live bands in the world for a reason.
posted by 1adam12 at 9:00 AM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


Hola might work as well.
posted by dng at 9:01 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Indeed gueneverey. Why is metal not welcome at a self-declared eclectic festival? Does eclectic only include some categories but not others? Maybe they're not obscure enough. I'm sure Strapping Young Lad instead would have gone over great with the nose-turning-up clique.

It's a manufactured controversy. They do it nearly every year with a "surprising" headliner (Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen) that's not really surprising in any way. Then all the press go on about how they've overcome something, somehow, and put on an amazing show that's won over the crowd. The crowd that's gone to watch them in droves despite another seven stages worth of bands to watch if they really weren't wanted there.

It's baffling.
posted by dng at 9:06 AM on June 29, 2014 [3 favorites]


\m/ \m/ !
posted by cavalier at 9:08 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


It's baffling.

I'd go more for tiresome than baffling.
posted by ambrosen at 9:09 AM on June 29, 2014 [3 favorites]


That picture of Trujillo in the Telegraph. Wow. You couldn't get that if you paid a hundred artists to produce a hundred caricatures.

I wonder what brand of strap he endorses?
posted by thelonius at 9:18 AM on June 29, 2014


One of the best things about Metallica? The way they embrace their critics. (Just scroll down to the pic at the bottom of the article.)

I remember seeing them at the Rose Bowl with Guns 'n' Roses when I was in high school. The program (which my sister had to have) had a good two-page spread full of negative things said about them--criticism by critics, derision by other artists, etc.

\m/ \m/
posted by scaryblackdeath at 9:30 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


You couldn't get that if you paid a hundred artists to produce a hundred caricatures.

Related, from a deleted wiki article: "... there have been several instances of famous bands pioneering the traditional Crabcore style years before the term was coined. The most known must be Metallica, very apparent in several live representations, most notably bassist Robert Trujillo."
posted by effbot at 9:35 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Metallica gave everybody a crash course in showmanship.
posted by Renoroc at 9:47 AM on June 29, 2014


It's a manufactured controversy.

Well yeah, I get that. But I think you're missing the irony of this so-called eclectic music festival billing its first metal act in 2014. It's not like heavy metal is some new-fangled fringe genre that only metalheads can enjoy listening to. But I guess it's probably because all metal is about death and destruction and devil-worship. Or something.
posted by gueneverey at 10:43 AM on June 29, 2014


Out of the things I've watched so far, The Daptone Super Soul Revue is the best. It's two hours of almost non-stop bloody brilliance.

Thanks for the tip, dng - I've just watched that whole Daptones show, and it is glorious. A good old-fashioned soul revue, bursting with power and no messing about. Fingers crossed, they'll tour that whole bill soon so i can see them live for myself.
posted by Paul Slade at 11:42 AM on June 29, 2014


I'm not sure they're the first metal band to play glastonbury, just the first to headline. I think Hawkwind probably spent the entirety of the seventies playing there.
posted by dng at 11:43 AM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


But I guess it's probably because all metal is about death and destruction and devil-worship. Or something.

Deaths have definitely been involved in the decision to avoid certain kinds of music at Glastonbury over the years. Nine of them, to be specific.

I think Hawkwind probably spent the entirety of the seventies playing there.

Hawkwind? They're awesome but do they qualify as metal?

(Spotify seems to think they do; Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Metallum, and effbot disagrees.)

(Not sure why metal at Glastonbury matters at all, though; it's not like there's a shortage of festivals in Europe where you can see eighties' metal acts perform parody versions of their old selves. Or festivals where you can see contemporary metal acts playing a lot more interesting stuff :)
posted by effbot at 12:09 PM on June 29, 2014


Has Glastonbury ever hosted Barry Manilow? Can't be TRULY eclectic without representing THAT musical genre, right?
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:24 PM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


They're awesome but do they qualify as metal?

lemmy was their bass player
posted by pyramid termite at 12:54 PM on June 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


They're awesome but do they qualify as metal?

lemmy was their bass player


If Lemmy came out to play bass for Beyonce, I'd grant that she was metal for at least that performance.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:17 PM on June 29, 2014 [5 favorites]


But I guess it's probably because all metal is about death and destruction and devil-worship. Or something.

what? no. it's a festival with a specific fanbase and musical taste and they generally color within those lines, except a couple surprise bookings to make headlines, a la beyonce and metallica. it's pretty much the same reason that frank ocean has never played rocklahoma, that's not the style of music they book usually.
posted by nadawi at 2:07 PM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


i will say that as a huge old school metallica fan, i fucking loved the glastonbury performance. it is downright amazing to see men of that age still going hard as a motherfucker. the sheer effort and precision they put in is awe inspiring.
posted by nadawi at 2:09 PM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


I saw Metallica live six times between Master and The Black Album. This wasn't the Live Shit Seattle show of officially filmed shows, but they seemed to nail the classics. Much better than that recent concert movie, where Hetfield's voice sounded blown out and they ended with "Hit the Lights," which is nigh unforgivable.
posted by Cyrano at 5:03 PM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


I saw Metallica headline Lollapalooza in '96. It was a time in my life I was very, very not into metal. And much like this weekend, the skeptics (me included) were won over because those dudes know how to put on a show.
posted by thecjm at 7:36 PM on June 29, 2014


Now-thoroughly-disgraced children's TV entertainer Rolf Harris played Glastonbury -- there's often some odd cove on the bill. You're right, though: I'd pay good money to see Barry Manilow leading a sing-along of the muddy hordes.
posted by vickyverky at 8:39 AM on June 30, 2014


Heh, a group of us were at Glasto in about 99/00 and saw Rolf Harris. We had mushroom tea in a 1 litre plastic pop bottle which we sipped during the gig. Kinda unfortunately, he was actually a very good performer, and knew how to talk to the audience and entertain them. Seems really weird to write that now, but despite all the sick and despicable things he is now being tried for, that was the case.

Later we all got separated and about 5 of us ended up with the tea, walking around Glasto and drinking it. Mint.
posted by marienbad at 1:13 PM on July 2, 2014


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