Mabuse

Given the lengthy Metallica threads on this board I imagine there must be a few experts on the subject.

Lars was on Howard Stern yesterday (or Monday) and he gave a very interesting interview. I am not a big Metallica fan. I admired early stuff, but never owned an album, never liked Black Album much, seemed pretty sell out, haven't heard a note since, no real interest in the band or the genre, just not my thing.

But the interview was really good. Lars talked about his early years and all kinds of stuff I didn't know. That he was a junior tennis player and came to America to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. What got my interest up is that frequently in the interview he mentioned Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar High School, and that he met James Hetfield while they were both briefly enrolled there. He said it was not making the CDM high school tennis team that made him decide to be a musician.

I didn't go to that high school but I attended one nearby and I was surprised that I'd NEVER heard that this is where they met. I would think that disaffected Orange County metal heads would brandish this piece of information with great pride. But I'd never heard it. Skimming Wikipedia there is no information about either man ever living in Newport Beach or attending Corona Del Mar HS. CDM does not list either of them as notable alumni.

Can anyone whose read a biography or has any more information shed some light on this for me? Thanks.

The Cow

Here's the LA Times article from '96 which I'm guessing is pretty much what he talked about.

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-12-...avy-metal-band

Mabuse

Interesting. There are a few more details in that article. The thing that blows my mind is the silence in Newport Beach about the origin of the band. The story isn't glamorous and Metallica is pretty far from what your average NB resident listens to, but holy shit, they're like one of the 5 or 10 biggest bands on the planet! Further, most of the casual stuff that tells their story (like Wikipedia) emphasizes that they are from Downey. I didn't know Dave Mustaine was from Huntington Beach. The band has major Orange County roots and yet there is very little chatter here about it. It's not like I have my head in the sand. The only single Metallica acknowledgment I can recall is that Some Kind of Monster premiered at the Newport Beach film festival.

Growing up here I would have thought the few KNAC loving metal heads would have talked up this connection and been very proud of it. Just like every San Diego guy I know is quick to point out that Eddie Vedder is from San Diego and not Seattle. Very strange.

sniper007

I had read some time back that Lars had put a ad In a LA newspaper (early 80s) to start up a band a James answer the ad. That's how I thought they met. Did not know about this school they attend together.

al_bundy

lars's dad was a professional tennis player i think. anyway, most musicians that have multi-decade careers had a musical education as kids. usually that means the parents had to have money for that. especially in the 1970's when instruments were a lot more expensive compared to incomes

hal9000

I remember back in the early 80's seeing hand made Metallica gig flyers (xeroxed) in local record shops for shows in and around Orange County. Metallica has done a decent job of distancing themselves from their ties to Orange County and the stigma usually associated with the people that live behind the Orange Curtain. On the flip side, No Doubt was pretty proud of their Orange County roots.

I'm pretty sure David Lee Roth's dad was either a prominent Doctor or Lawyer from Pasadena, so he wasn't necessarily a kid from the other side of the tracks making it big.

Being poor vs. coming from money/having musical instruments and lessons at your disposal is interesting if you think about it. Most people that had some sort of backing would probably play that aspect down in an interview. I personally know two local L.A. bands that have a band member that is a "trust fund kid." Neither of these bands have made it big. And I doubt they ever will but the trust fund kid in each case never has to work a day in their lives.

islandclaws

If Cliff Burton didn't refuse to move down from SF, they'd have remained an OC band.

Traxan

Newport Beach snobs aren't going to want to take credit for any metal band.

CRM114

That's the beauty of Howard Stern. He gets info NO ONE else can get out of celebrities. They just open right up.

By the way, I only heard bits and pieces during my drive in. Did he ask anything about the Lou Reed collaboration?

Traxan

Bah Stern got nothing. Read Dave Mustaine's autobiography. He talks all about growing up in Orange County, that Lars was from well-heeled background, what James and Ron McGovney were like, etc. Lars didn't give out some big exclusive.