Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Metallica 3-D movie shoot: a skeptic's report on The Full Arsenal


I attended the $5 Metallica 3-D movie shoot "concert" last night, more out of curiosity than passion; as I say below, I've never really liked Metallica, but some part of me has heard so much praise for the band that I've always half-suspected I was missing out on something, compelling me to listen to their albums occasionally, hoping I might get them. I wanted to put this feeling to rest for once and for all - to either emerge a convert, or feeling that I had at least done justice to the experience of considering them, so I could think no more on this band.

While I did enjoy bits last night, it is the latter conclusion that I reached, somewhat to my relief - I can ill-afford $40 Metallica t-shirts, which seems to be a key part of what being part of the "Metallica family" is all about; admission to the clan is not cheap. No wonder, either: last night's show was a very expensive spectacle, a celebration of wealth and excess which started at midway to overwhelm the music, almost like they were compensating for some perceived lack (the building of the statue of Lady Justice was, in particular, unnecessary and distracting and kind of silly, with the apparent subtext being, "this band has far too much money"). My friend Blake correctly predicted that they would topple the thing before "And Justice For All" ended, unfooled by the illusion they tried to create that the pieces were at all heavy or dangerous (he guessed it was foam rubber, probably correctly). It's possible I was too busy futzing with my cellphone camera - I kind of hate how compulsively and frequently I found myself taking photographs - to really appreciate the effect. Maybe it will work better in the movie...


There were, however, some very effective and interesting bits of stagecraft, too - the simulated warfare (done with the sound of helicopters, explosions, pyro effects, and lasers) before "One" was rather terrifying and apropos of the song, like the band wanted us to have the experience of being underneath an airstrike. Thanks for that, Metallica - I've always wanted to know how it feels to cringe in fear from falling bombs and napalm, and now I kind of do. If that wasn't taking things too far, there was also a video of people trapped in the enormous overhead "coffins," pounding hysterically, trying to get out, throughout the song "Cyanide," which was rather over-the-top in the "unnecessary nastiness" category; the woman "in" the coffin that we had the best view of did an excellent job of simulating total terror, writhing, screaming, hammering on the lid. How it was meant to augment the song is anyone's guess - it was like Metallica were staging a sort of unsubtle mind-war on their audience - but it was definitely a powerful, upsetting image...


There were ample delays, as warned - including a few unscheduled ones, one of which seemed to involve an apparent spat, though between whom I cannot say: a song fizzled, with Hetfield taking off his guitar rather abruptly and Lars storming off, making exaggerated shrugging gestures, saying into the mike, "I'm only the drummer," to communicate his disgust at something I for one had not perceived in the slightest; his ego, apparently, has become part of the show. (No doubt this scene will be edited out of the final movie, which is fair enough: the world already has one warts-and-all Metallica movie, and as great a documentary as it is, we certainly don't need another). It was odd throughout to watch Ulrich drum, in fact, as he seems to have evolved a very expressive, theatrical style that is all about making his experience visible to distant audience members; while any given photograph of him probably looks cool as hell, such a performance would look rather foolhardy, I suspect, in a small club (though who knows, maybe he's just a naturally expressive guy; he's no more expressive than Bison's drummer, though you get the feeling that Matt is expressing his actual feelings about playing, rather than putting on a show for people. There's something really strange about someone simulating, for show, the playing of intense rock music, while actually playing intense rock music; I bet Ulrich could win an air-drumming contest hands down). Because Lars was the static member, his drumkit turning at times but always being stage centre, he was somehow the heart of the experience; otherwise, the stage was so huge - comprising, basically, the entire floor of Rogers Arena - that it was almost like the band wasn't playing together, each off in their own little world with their own private 3-D movie camera. Not many bands perform on stages so large that you can't keep all of them in your field of vision at the same time, such that you lose track of what they're doing and then have to strain to spot the individual members; there was a bit of a "Where's Waldo" effect, as I tried to see during solos where Kirk was, or keep abreast of what James was doing; the only person you reliably knew how to find was Lars.

Speaking of Metallica's members, it was kinda fun to see Robert Trujillo from Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves - both bands I listen to much more often than Metallica - down there on the stage as the new bassist, wearing his white athletic socks and high-top sneakers. As Blake observed, he looked entirely like a California skate punk, as opposed to the other members, clad in cool-guy black. It was an enjoyable incongruity. I considered calling out "Suicidal!" but it seemed somehow inappropriate...


Though it sounds like it would have been welcome, I confess - ingrate that I am - that I didn't stick around for the "stage malfunction"/ collapse which supposedly led to them doing a few songs in "garage mode." It's telling that the band would need to create a narrative excuse, at this point - so huge has the spectacle around them become - to simply behave like a normal rock band, low-tech and gritty and real, and presumably no longer standing dozens of yards apart - but it would have been entertaining to see. One wonders what they would look/ sound/ feel like if they played The Rickshaw - if they would actually be vastly more impressive, up there on a small stage, working as a unit, bereft of the spectacle - or if minus the illusion, there's really not that much there to get excited about?

While briefly I did get into the spirit of some of their songs, impressed at the energy they could generate amongst a crowd so large, and appreciating the precision of their music - which sounded great, and involved an elaborate overhead speaker set-up that was much less upsetting to the gut than the low-frequency assault that I was exposed to seeing Slayer and Rob Zombie at Rogers, a few years ago - by the time "And Justice for All" closed, I had had enough. We stuck it out for one more song after that, I think. Still, glad to have gone; it's not every day I get to observe this huge-arena mode of rock, plus I can now safely put Metallica to rest: if seeing them last night failed to really move me, I'll never be joining the gravy train, and can concentrate on other things.


Y'all want to see a truly powerful rock band that doesn't require lasers, pyro effects, or foam rubber to make their point? Where the band is actually playing together because they want to make music together, and not because it provides them (and their corporate controllers) millions of dollars in revenue? Where the music is the thing, and not the aura of illusion, spectacle, splendor, and power around it? Then - REALLY - you should come see Swans on September 6th at The Venue. Now *there* is one powerful, genuine, and fucking HEAVY rock band. Metallica is greasy kidstuff by comparison. 


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The whole point was to make it out of the ordinary! Why would anyone want to make a 3D movie based on the ordinary? Would anyone bother parting with $1 to go and watch your recommendation of 4 guys on a small insignificant stage? It seems your ego identified with that of Lars man...it would seem that you have more issues to contend with than just family! Metallica will not miss you either, I wonder if anyone would?

Allan MacInnis said...

Thank you! The complete and utter lack of hate generated by my Metallica-themed posts up til now was makin' me feel pretty insecure. I realize that it was not your intent to cheer me up, but thanks all the same...

You should realize, of course, that it sounds essentially like you're *agreeing* that Metallica is just "ordinary" without massive special effects, eh? That was your word for them, not mine - but it's perfectly apt. These guys are an exceptionally ordinary rock band without the layer of illusion and artifice and SFX piled atop them. They have a great name, a great brand, a very smart team of marketers and stage managers and set designers and team-building coaches and so forth, but strip all that away and they're really not that big a deal, either as songwriters or musicians.

...And sorry, fella, but when it comes to music - it really is the songs and the playing of them that matters to me, not the special effects. As to why anyone would bother to go watch four guys on a small insignificant stage: some of the most exciting rock concerts I've been to have fit exactly that description (or sometimes its been three guys and one girl, or five girls, or whatever permutation the band comes in). I'm payin' full ticket price to go see exactly that when Neil Young and Crazy Horse play the same venue this November (four guys, one stage), and I don't expect there'll be a laser or a fire effect or a projection screen (or a thirty-foot-tall statue of Crazy Horse on horseback) anywhere in sight, because, y'see, when the band is spectacular, and the music truly exciting, the effects really don't need to be. Whether I'd pay to see a 3-d movie about some of the bands I've seen and loved, mind you, is another matter - since I very rarely watch concert films, and those I have seen and loved, however (like Year of the Horse, about Crazy Horse) have definitely not been 3-d experiences. However, I've paid good money to see a 3-d movie about beavers, ferchrissakes, and they didn't require pyrotechnics to be interesting; so one would hope a supposedly stellar rock band would be able to make the same claim...

Anonymous said...

That was one of the best shows I've been to,or had the most fun at.You said it right from the start your not a big Metallica fan so of course your most likely not going to enjoy the show, even though at the sat show the energy in the crowd was awesome to say the least so it would've been hard not to.I thought the effects just made it that much better.But to each their own.

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me??? they're really not that big a deal either as songwriters or musicians??? Where have you been for the last 30 years??? Why have they won sooo many awards, and most importantly have influenced sooo many other musicians out there since day one... and to quote one of the Black Sabbath members: Thank God for Metallica.If it is said that Black Sabbath invented metal, Metallica certainly re-invented it...and you say that for you it's the music and everything... what do you think the whole Metallica movement/family has been about? why do you think sooo many people are influenced by their MUSIC (from orchestras/violins and pianos too any musical instrument you can imagine) just go ahead and google metallica covers, and you'll see how many people out there love their MUSIC so much that they will try and play it on their own musical instrument (violin or piano)... so you telling us that their music isn't about the songs and lyrics? are you serious? is that why all fans in the crowd know and sing along to all the songs?and about the concerts,you choose to go see them because the tickets were so cheap and they happened to be filming a special gig, you condemn 30+ years of some of the greatest concerts ever and at the same time condemn their talents as musicians? these guys have played venues all around the world, venues where their stage consisted of a couple of picnic tables put together, because to them the key is to bring their music, their songs to the fans (which they treat like family)
and FYI they made it big with their songs from the early days when it was still underground with no help from radio play or anything like that. Even others that don't really listen to that type of music agree that there first 3 albums where and still are epic. so before you start saying negative things just because you hatted them from the beginning because you were not into the genre, you should do your homework first.
I have no problem with you not liking their kind of music, it's not for everyone. But don't start saying negative things about them as musicians, their talents and taking personal attacks against some of them just because you don't like their music.
check out these links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpkARcbUa9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2eeXeey-7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KtF7ql3FJc


Thank you,

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me??? they're really not that big a deal either as songwriters or musicians??? Where have you been for the last 30 years??? Why have they won sooo many awards, and most importantly have influenced sooo many other musicians out there since day one... and to quote one of the Black Sabbath members: Thank God for Metallica.If it is said that Black Sabbath invented metal, Metallica certainly re-invented it...and you say that for you it's the music and everything... what do you think the whole Metallica movement/family has been about? why do you think sooo many people are influenced by their MUSIC (from orchestras/violins and pianos too any musical instrument you can imagine) just go ahead and google metallica covers, and you'll see how many people out there love their MUSIC so much that they will try and play it on their own musical instrument (violin or piano)... so you telling us that their music isn't about the songs and lyrics? are you serious? is that why all fans in the crowd know and sing along to all the songs?and about the concerts,you choose to go see them because the tickets were so cheap and they happened to be filming a special gig, you condemn 30+ years of some of the greatest concerts ever and at the same time condemn their talents as musicians? these guys have played venues all around the world, venues where their stage consisted of a couple of picnic tables put together, because to them the key is to bring their music, their songs to the fans (which they treat like family)
and FYI they made it big with their songs from the early days when it was still underground with no help from radio play or anything like that. Even others that don't really listen to that type of music agree that there first 3 albums where and still are epic. so before you start saying negative things just because you hatted them from the beginning because you were not into the genre, you should do your homework first.
I have no problem with you not liking their kind of music, it's not for everyone. But don't start saying negative things about them as musicians, their talents and taking personal attacks against some of them just because you don't like their music.
check out these links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpkARcbUa9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2eeXeey-7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KtF7ql3FJc


Thank you,

Allan MacInnis said...

Rant away, but no, I'm not kidding.

Allan MacInnis said...

...but by the by, no "personal attack" on anyone is intended in the above; you may be seeing as hostility what I intend primarily as observation. There ARE odd things about the band's dynamic - they've made their egos and squabblings part of the experience, mostly thanks to the Some Kind of Monster film - but I have nothing PERSONAL against any of these guys, nor do I mean to MAKE anything personal of what I saw that night. Lars DID have a wee tantrum and made sure everyone knew he was pissed off, gesturing theatrically like he wanted his frustration registered by everyone, but fuck, man, if he's going to get pissed off ON MIKE with his bandmates, I have the right to PERCEIVE it and REACT, no? Most bands try to keep the fighting offstage, but these guys have woven their conflicts into their narrative - which I guess is one way of coping with them...

Still, I don't have HALF the antipathy towards Lars Ulrich that some of his fans do. I sypmathize with his fights over Napster, I generally find him a pretty articulate and interesting guy in interviews, and I have nothing AGAINST his drumming, even if I find it a bit weird how much he tries to make what he's doing VISIBLE. Most drummers kind of disappear into the background, but with Metallica, Lars seems to be the star...

All the same, man - I'll take Sepultura any day.