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LES CLAYPOOL: Why I Didn't Land Bassist Gig In METALLICA

October 2, 2010

In 1986, PRIMUS mainman Les Claypool auditioned for the then-vacant bassist slot in METALLICA following the death of the group's previous bassist, Cliff Burton. Recalling the experience in the VH1 "Behind The Music" special, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield remarked that Claypool was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and that Les "should do his own thing."

In a brand new interview with Citypages, Claypool was asked if there was any truth to Hetfield's comments. "I'd say, that's an untrue story," Claypool said. "I mean, James said on VH1 'Behind The Music' that I was just too good, but ah, he and I were hanging out quite a bit during that time when they did the VH1 interview. And I said, 'What the hell are you guys talking about, you didn't want me, you thought I was a freak!' And he just laughed. Ya know, I showed up with a bleach blonde mohawk and wearing baggy skater pants, and two different colored tennis shoes. They were all in black with tight pants and the whole bit... But they have a great guy now; they've got Robert Trujillo, who's one of the nicest guys in the business."

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