Metallica Through the Never Premieres in San Francisco

  METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER - US PREMIERE IN SAN FRANCISCO
  Monday, September 16, 2013
  Metreon Theater, San Francisco 
 
  IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO, BE SURE TO WEAR LOADS OF FIRE, RIOT AND SUPERBLY LOUD MUSIC IN YOUR HAIR (AND EARS), IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO, YOU'RE GONNA MEET SOME LOUD, ANGRY AND PISSED OFF MOFOS THERE...oh sorry, am I SHOUTING? THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE JUST LANDED HOME FROM THE US PREMIERE OF METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER AND IT WAS (on all sides of the screen) A DELICIOUSLY LOUD AND CELEBRATORY AFFAIR WHICH WAS WONDERFULLY LOUD (did I already mention it was LOUD?!!!). 
 
  
 
  Hot off the heels of some European premiere stuff (including what was apparently an outrageous audience in Moscow who actually LEPT OVER PROPER CONCERT BARRIER outside the movie theater!) the whole ...Never kit and kaboodle came out. Nimrod, Charlotte, Adam, Dane, you know the gang, well they were here in force and some with family (Dane had his parents) whilst the Hetfield and Ulrich clan were all part of the ascendancy up the Metreon escalators and onto a PROPER RED CARPET (of decent quality too, none of those cheap shoddy thin excuses , no, it was a PROPER thick, lush and slightly luxurious under-foot RED carpet!) to walk a PROPER line of fans and then to be engaged by a PROPER line of photographer and press, who were thicket-thick and who thus made sure the band moved at what really WAS literally a snail's pace. 
 
  
 
  Being Metallica, there was not room for everyone to squeeze into the IMAX theater, thus friends, family and more friends crammed into a 3D theater next door. The band, Dane, Charlotte and Nimrod all gave a few words (Dane gleefully calling out his parents, James expressing his gratitude and Nimrod cutting his speech out in order "to get on with showing the movie!" And suddenly there we were again, heading into a film unlike no other where the lot goes like... 
 
  Nah. I'm not saying a damn thing. 
 
  
 
  What I will tell you is that I keep on seeing new things, a nuance here, a really cool goddamn thingummy there, but until I can be sure YOU HAVE ALL SEEN THIS MOVIE then I am NOT telling you ANY more about it! 
 
  And as the film ended, as the applause was loud, it started to feel like y'know? This whole movie thing might just goddam well be an unqualified success when it opens. At least a dozen people I spoke to said that they loved it and want to see it again, and I most certainly will be doing the same. And in fact, the true spirit of the event was captured in the hallway immediately outside the theater doors, where Clubbers, casual fans, friends, family and band all mingled for a little bit.  But seriously? For me? This was the moment I realized that I cannot wait to pop down to my local multiplex and check this out with many many MANY other fans and curious movie-goers alike. Next week I will have my chance, and don't even BEGIN to tell me you haven't yet got your tickets, posses and post-party celebrations all sorted out. 
 
  Tomorrow night comes a screening in San Rafael, then there's a quick stop in Rio for some small club gig, then there's a mad dash to New York for more fun, games, promo and the Apollo Theater before even more promo duties... 
 
  But I'm giving the last words on tonight  to Brian Lew, who posted the following on his Facebook page. 
 
  '30 years ago was Kill 'Em All and now they're "movie stars." Weird.' 
 
  He also said, '... sometimes you meet some band guys when you're all teenagers and they grow up to be the Zeppelin of their generation who now have their own version of the Song Remains The Same. #amazing' 
 
  I should also point out that Brian was one of the many old friends I spoke to who wore earthy shit-eating grins and confessed that not only did they love it, they'd need to see it again to help process it all...yeah, it's that sort of movie alright... 
 
  To be continued... 
 
  Steffan Chirazi
  SW! Ead'itter 
 
  
 
  P.S. If anything, it really is starting to resonate with me as a sibling of Pink Floyd's The Wall...of course it's different, but there's little doubt in my mind that the two would have quite a night together!