One of many greatest items of Metallica folklore is the truth that when he was a teen, Lars Ulrich discovered himself hanging out with a few of his rock and roll idols.
From sitting in a rehearsal studio with Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Taylor and Eddie Clark as they have been writing new Motorhead songs to seeing Saxon earlier than they’d any kind of reputation within the U.S., a younger Ulrich was formed not simply by the information of those bands, however by his interactions with them.
One of many craziest tales must be when Ulrich traveled to the U.Ok. to see Diamond Head, which result in him ultimately residing with them for a couple of weeks.
Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler Joined Metallica’s Official Podcast For a Dialog
In a dialog with Metallica journalist and So What! journal editor Steffan Chirazi on the most recent episode of the band’s official podcast, The Metallica Report, Tatler recollects when he first met that younger Ulrich.
“To begin with, he purchased [Lightning to the Nations] mail order as a result of we marketed it in Sounds,” Tatler says. “We hadn’t acquired a file deal. We did a thousand copies and the supervisor determined to place an advert in Sounds…Lars will need to have been getting a replica of Sounds in L.A. and despatched for the album.”
Tatler tells Chirazi how the entire band remembers when Ulrich ordered the album as a result of they thought he was their first fan in america.
“We have solely acquired one and his identify is Lars Ulrich, how about that?”
After sending Ulrich Lightning to the Nations, he wrote again to the return handle on the bundle and gushed about how a lot he beloved the file.
In reality, he informed the band that he was coming to the U.Ok. to see them.
“He duly turned up on the Woolwich Odeon in London, he was 17,” Tatler recollects.
“We will need to have had somewhat communication through the fan membership or one thing, and so when he got here, we simply had blown away this 17-year-old lad that made such an enormous effort to return over to see Diamond Head. We thought, nobody’s ever come to see Diamond Head earlier than from America. So we preferred him immediately.”
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How Lars Ulrich Ended Up Crashing With Diamond Head
The present that Ulrich caught occurred to be Diamond Head’s final of their tour. So, because the band was preparing to return residence, Ulrich determined to affix them.
“He jumped within the automobile and got here again and I believe all of us simply thought his enthusiasm — the truth that he’d come all this manner and he is solely 17 — we took to him,” Tatler admits. “I am nonetheless residing with my mother and father, I am solely 20 or 21 at this level.”
Ulrich wound up sleeping on Tatler’s ground for per week, cozying up in Tatler’s brother’s previous sleeping bag.
“Then he moved over to [frontman Sean Harris’] home and, once more, Sean’s nonetheless residing together with his mother, and he slept on the couch and he was there for about three, 4 weeks.”
Tatler says Harris would inform him that Ulrich would rise up in the course of the night time and raid the fridge.
“Sean mentioned he’d get up and Lars could be listening, on headphones, to ‘It is Electrical’ over and over.”
Why Brian Tatler Was Stunned to Study Lars Ulrich Performed Drums
After sofa browsing with Diamond Head, Ulrich ultimately returned to California and adopted up with Tatler with one other letter.
“He wrote me a letter saying, ‘How’s it going, and so forth.,’ ‘Thanks for placing me up,’ and ‘Recognize it, blah, blah, blah,'” Tatler shared. “And he mentioned [he’s] acquired a band collectively and it is fairly quick, you understand, that sort of factor. It is referred to as Metallica.”
Tatler says very clearly that listening to the identify Metallica did not imply something to him.
“The heavens did not open,” he says.
“I simply thought, ‘Oh, that is good. He is fashioned a band.’ Lars by no means talked about it. Lars by no means mentioned, ‘I play the drums,’ or he by no means mentioned, ‘I will be in a band’ or something. He simply appeared like an uber fan … I did not assume that a lot would come of it.”
After Ulrich despatched Tatler a demo, they stayed in contact, ultimately changing into pen buddies. Ulrich would share information concerning the band, from upcoming gigs in Denmark to being a part of Steel Blade’s Steel Bloodbath compilation.
“I am simply, in a means, humoring him as a result of I just like the man, however I’ve no clue that they will develop into the largest metallic band of all time,” Tatler confesses. “No thought.”
Then Ulrich gave Tatler a name in 1984 and requested him if Metallica might cowl “Am I Evil?” Tatler gave him the thumbs up and even faxed him the lyrics.
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“Subsequent factor you understand, he sends me a replica of the ‘Creeping Dying’ 12-inch single on Music For Nations that has ‘Am I Evil?’ on the B-side.”
Tatler mentioned the band appreciated the duvet and felt like Metallica did a extremely respectful job with it. Even so, they nonetheless did not assume Metallica have been poised to take over the world.
It did not take lengthy for Diamond Head to understand simply how mistaken they have been.
You may take heed to the total dialog with Tatler on The Metallica Report proper right here.
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