Metallicawrapped up their weeklong Late Late Show residency in fitting fashion Friday night as the metal gods churnedout a sharp, pulverizingrendition ofThe Black Albums Sad but True, a subtle reminderthat both theirweek of top-notch performances on Craig Fergusons late night program and the hosts Late Late tenurewerecoming to an end.
Metallica kicked things off Monday night with Hit the Lights,the first track the band ever recorded together. They followed that up Tuesday with the 1997 Reload cut Fuel. Wednesday night brought Ride the Lightnings For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Thursday featured another Black Album classic Enter Sandman. (U2 was also scheduled for a Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon residency this week before Bonos bicycle accidentpostponed that event.)
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Metallica performed Friday night despite November 21st being No Music Day, which Ferguson alluded to in his opening monologue. Conceived by the KLF mastermind Bill Drummond, No Music Day has various meanings, from a stand against the cheapening of music as an artform to an effort to stress its importance in our everyday lives by taking note of its absence. As Ferguson jokes, it is a day where youre not supposed to have any music at all its what MTV calls everyday.'
At the very end of Sad but True, after Ferguson bids the audience goodnight, James Hetfield comes over and drapes his black guitar over the hosts shoulder, a sweet gesture as Ferguson inches toward the end of his Late Late Nightgig on December 19th (Hell be replaced by British actorJames Corden). Maybe the Scottish comedians next jobcan be as a guitar tech for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band.
What better way to celebrate Craigs awesome tenure at CBS than to come and shake the rafters for a whole week, drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stoneafter Metallica announced their Late Late Show residency. Nothing to sell, nothing to promote (except a reissue DVD)purely hanging at Craigs personal request. Bring it! The bands 10th anniversary Blu-ray edition of Some Kind of Monster is out November 24th.