Metallica’s current tour, which takes place at US Bank Stadium on August 16 and 18, sees the metal titans playing two nights each in 22 cities around the world over the course of 18 months. Even with the shows taking place on weekends, it’s not as easy as it might seem.
“When we’re on the road, we’re all in,” bassist Robert Trujillo said in a phone interview before the band’s two shows in Foxborough, Massachusetts. “There’s really not enough time to go home. Monday is travel day, Tuesday and Wednesday are preparations for the next show, then Thursday is the Friday show.”
Trujillo, a California native, began his career with Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves. He later performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Jerry Cantrell and Black Label Society. He met Metallica when Suicidal Tendencies toured with the group in 1993.
Three years after Metallica’s bassist Jason Newsted left the band in 2000, they offered Trujillo the job. Since then, Trujillo has appeared on three Metallica albums and toured the world, including a one-off show in August 2016 when the band became the second act (after Luke Bryan) to headline the then-new U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here’s what Trujillo had to say about life as a member of Metallica.
On the question of whether he still feels like the new guy:
There are moments when I feel like the new guy, and moments when I feel like I’ve been here for almost 22 years. It’s interesting, the feeling of being new never really goes away. At the same time, I feel important to the cause.
What it’s like to prepare for the tour:
The stage is huge, so a certain level of physical training is required. We’ve done three festival appearances in a row in Europe. Festival stages are pretty big, but when I got back to our stage I was pretty out of breath. It’s about half the size of what we normally have to handle.
It’s a little tiring, (which is why) there’s a rest day (between shows). It sounds crazy, but it works for us. We’re not 21 anymore.
To select the setlists:
We challenge ourselves. We don’t play the same set two nights in a row, we mix it up and go into deep cuts and instrumentals. There’s a lot of material, we have a lot to choose from. We’re excited about our new songs and play a handful of them per show. That keeps things interesting, combining the older material with the newer and everything in between.
What it’s like to be a member of Metallica:
People don’t always understand this, but when you’re in a band like this, it’s about more than just playing and performing music. That’s incredibly important, but it’s also about the relationship, your role in the band and keeping the family together. It really is like a family. You have to be patient, you have to know the personalities and everything. It’s a thing of life – family, job, in a band it’s no different. You’re trying to make it work and keep it together. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that. The ability to write and record is the icing on the cake. Going on tour and keeping the band together, not everyone can do that.
On dealing with the personalities in one of the biggest bands in the world:
You find your place. Everyone is an important ingredient in the recipe. Each band member is completely different from the others. We come together and make this music. We go on stage and have fun. But that doesn’t mean we hang out together outside of Metallica. We are friends and have a lot of respect for each other. At the same time, we are individuals. Everyone has a different lifestyle. It’s about mutual respect and being flexible, patient and solid in what you do.
To organize the so-called Metallica Takeover Weekend with band-related activities throughout the city on the days between the shows:
My son Tye has a band, Otto. James’ son (Castor) has a band too. They play their shows in the day between our shows. It’s fun and exciting. That’s how it should be. Come see Metallica, see what we have to offer and then enjoy the city. It’s all about being festive.
In Europe we saw a lot of new faces, but also people who had travelled to every show. It was their summer holidays. Everyone seemed to be having a really good time and enjoying the experience.
What advice he gives his son:
He’s 20 now and he’s doing his own thing. He works and that’s what he loves. It makes me happy, it makes my wife happy. That’s how it works for us.
Sometimes, as you probably know, young people have to do their own thing and sometimes make mistakes along the way. It’s important for them to learn from the mistakes and have their own experiences. As parents, we can’t help but tell him, “Maybe you want to make that decision,” but we don’t tell him what to do. It’s an interesting time for him, in his early twenties he has a lot of important decisions to make. I try to help when I can.
On his memories of the inauguration of the Vikings Stadium:
Everything about it was unforgettable, even the surreal images of the stadium looking like a large ship. Everything was fresh and new and the crowds were incredible.
The Vikings have always been an interesting team for me because I’ve always loved football. I grew up in the 70s as a Rams fan. My cousin was a Vikings fan, so there was a rivalry between us.
I have incredible respect for the Vikings and also for Minneapolis as a whole. Back then, playing First Avenue was always a must for me. It was a place you had to play, like a rite of passage in rock’n’roll. I have a lot of really incredible memories of the great people. And the great music. Prince was always a huge inspiration to me. He was incredible.
Metallica
Align: Friday, 6 p.m. with Pantera and Wolfgang Van Halen’s band Mammoth and Sunday, 6 p.m. with Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills.
Where: US Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.
Tickets: $225-$54.75 via ticketmaster.com.
Metallica Takeover Weekend on Saturday
Metallica Film Festival: Screenings of the Metallica films “Cliff ‘Em All,” “Cunning Stunts” and “Orgullo, Pasion Y. Gloria: Tres Notes En La Ciudad De Mexico” at 11 a.m. at the Riverview Theater. Tickets are $15 at riverviewtheater.com.
“The Black Album in Black and White”: Longtime Metallica photographer Ross Halfin will be at the Minneapolis Institute of Art from 2-5 p.m. to show his work and sign books. Tickets are $20 and available at artsmia.org.
Bowling takeover: 93X and the Metallica crew invite fans to a day of bowling at Memory Lanes from 3-6 p.m. Metallica cover band And One for All will perform live on the lanes at 8 p.m. For more information, visit memorylanes.com.
Bastardane and Ottto: A live concert by Bastardane (featuring James Hetfield’s son and drummer Castor Hetfield) and Ottto (featuring Robert Trujillo’s son and bassist Tye Trujillo) at 7 p.m. at the Varsity Theater. Tickets are $19 at ticketmaster.com.
Metallica takeover at Smash Park: A free event featuring axe throwing and a Metallica Name That Tune contest, 7-11 p.m. at Smash Park in Roseville.
Events in Minneapolis related to Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey
Pre-show happy hour with master distiller Rob Dietrich; 2-6 p.m. Friday; Bar Rufus, 527 S. Marquette Ave.; barrufus.com.
Happy hour before the show; Friday, 5-8 p.m.; Mackenzie Pub, 918 Hennepin Ave.; mackenziepub.com.
Whisky dinner led by Dietrich; Saturday: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Miaou Miaou, 527 S. Marquette Ave.; miaoumiaoumpls.com.
Meet and greet Dietrich; Saturday, 8-10 p.m.; Living Room and Prohibition, 821 S. Marquette Ave.; thelivingroom-prohibition.com.
Happy hour before the show; Sunday, 5pm-8pm; Bar Rufus.
