Beez gets all emotional over Metallica’s induction to the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

I don’t know if it’s just because we exist in the world of heavy metal on a daily basis, but Metallica’s induction to the Rock ’N’ Roll Hall Of Fame was an absolute no-brainer.

In my anything-but-humble opinion, Metallica are the greatest band to have ever walked the Earth. Absolutely everything that’s great about heavy metal can be found in that band, everything that’s great about punk rock can be found in that band, and they continue to be one of the most relevant bands within our stratosphere. Just my personal view there.

Flea’s talk about Cliff Burton was a major highlight on the night. It goes without saying that Cliff’s contribution, to not only Metallica but heavy metal in general, was colossal, but to hear someone sum up so poignantly how it felt to hear Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) for the first time and to describe just how much Cliff achieved in his life was unbelievable. If you ever rued the fact that Cliff was taken from us way too early into his life, Flea’s words may give you an entirely different slant on it. The video link is at the end of this blog and if you haven’t already seen it, it’s mandatory viewing.

Lars Ulrich looking like he was on the verge of tears during Flea’s induction speech was also incredibly moving to watch. The guy has a bad rep with some people within our world, mainly because he has nuts the size of Pluto and has never given two-squirts of piss what anyone has to say about his unapologetic views. Some people accuse the Dane of arrogance but the guy has achieved things in life that most can only dream of, has sold millions and millions of records but can still be moved when it’s put in an eloquent manner just what Metallica mean to people. Is that arrogance? Is it fuck!

Anyone who has ever listened to the Metal Hammer podcast will know I have a soft spot for Lars, but that’s only because he always comes across as bulletproof and genuinely doesn’t give a fuck what people have to say about his actions. To see a bloke who has always seemed like a walking middle-finger show an incredibly humble side like that could maybe give his haters a few things to think about next time they’re firing bullets in his direction.

A main tipping of the hat must go to James Hetfield though. The guy who was once so reclusive and who was alleged to have so much difficulty communicating for years, speaking in the most open and honest way about his wife and children was touching enough, but his talk about daring to fail was one of the most inspirational things these ears have ever heard.

He gave encouragement to those who are picking up the guitar, and the bands out there who feel a slave to their image or musical style, to dare to fail. Indeed, in any walk of life, I think we all have aspirations that we think might be beyond us – daring to fail takes a shitload of guts and Metallica have dared time and time again and still stand as arguably the most well-loved and greatest heavy metal act of all time. It’s because they’ve always thrown caution to the wind, whether people have been receptive or not.

St Anger tracks still appear in the Metallica live set, their recent O2 show had a nine-minute track from Load in the set and to this day, Metallica still dare to fail. They dare to fail, yet they always gain kudos for not playing it safe. Their ability to succeed while doing things that most bands would be shit-scared of attempting is something I truly believe we can all aspire to. It’d be easy to play loads of tracks from the first four albums and it’d be easy for all of us to stick to what we know we’re good at in life but, to quote Motorbreath (a song that was written 27 years ago!), “those people who tell you not to take chances, they are all missing on what life’s about”. If I’m sounding like a hippie, I apologise, but it’s the fucking truth, dammit.

Basically, Metallica’s Rock ’N’ Roll Hall Of Fame induction was wholeheartedly deserved but the ceremony itself and the sheer emotion of the occasion was truly breathtaking. James, Lars, Kirk, Rob, Jason and Cliff – Metal Hammer and the whole world of heavy metal couldn’t be more proud.

‘Til next time,

Beez (Read previous Beez rants here)

Check out all of the footage from Metallica’s Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame induction!