2002 wasn’t exactly the best time to be in Metallica. In January the preceding year, longtime bassist Jason Newsted fockin’ left the band, sending the remaining three horsemen into a tailspin of self-doubt, therapy and, for singer/guitarist James Hetfield, a stint in rehab. The future of metal’s most successful outfit was suddenly under extreme threat.
Nonetheless – on June 4, 2002 – Metallica were able to pull themselves together just enough to perform their first show in 18 months, not to mention their first show without Jason since 1986. The band were in the middle of a revamp, rebuilding themselves following the hellish turmoils of their immediate past, so it was something of a ragtag affair. The gig was a secret show under the pseudonym Spun, and it took place in a minuscule San Francisco dive bar called Kimo’s, as opposed to the stadium-sized extravaganzas that James, guitarist Kirk Hammett and drummer Lars Ulrich had held for upwards of a decade. The band’s longtime producer, Bob Rock, filled in on bass, while James had to play the gig sitting down as he was recovering from a recent neck surgery.
