Metallibash 2001

Friday night at Tommy's Joynt (Photo - Kim Bo)	Nic-LAAAAS! Just how many beers did you have that night? (Photo - Kim Bo)

Friday evening me and the Swede head to the city to meet up with the group at Tommy's Joynt. About 20-25 Clubbers have gathered to get to know each other a bit before tomorrow's bash. Niclas settles in with a large array of beverages, and I get to spend a long time catching up with Kim from Kentucky, who was nice enough to get me to the Cincinnati airport at 5 am after the final show on tour last summer. Also get to hang a bit with Adam from the Googol Crew, Jennah and her husband from San Joserium, as well as Crazy Jim from SJ. After a few hours of getting to know everyone, Niclas and I head out. The Swede has had a bit to drink, so I'm behind the wheel of his ride for the rest of the night. We spend about an hour driving around the city lost trying to catch up with some girlfriends of his, but without much success. We give up and decide to head home. On the way, we stop for a late-night meal at this all-night diner on Lombard near the Golden Gate where we've gone several times before, but I always forget the name of it. Get back in around 2:30 am to San Rafael.

"Jaymz...?!"

The Yeagster shows up from Sacramento around noon on Saturday, and we pack all the gear and the roadcase in the truck, and we finally head south to the city. We arrive at Maritime Hall around 3 in the afternoon, and pull into the back parking lot. We make our way through the depths of what seems to be an empty venue, until finally bumping into Susan and the rest of the organizers. Apparently nothing is working out as planned - we don't actually have the Maritime Hall, but a high-school cafeteria type of room below the real Hall. The company who was supposed to have shown up already with tables, etc claims to have lost the reservation for the Bash and won't be able to provide anything. So we're standing there in a large completely empty room, with a couple hundred people who have paid a considerable amount of money expected to show up in a few hours for a massive party. There is one - ONE - electrical outlet at one end of the room, and one of the plugs is actually taped over. There is no stage, much less barricade, for the band. After a couple hours of scrambling, we all make do with what is actually available. To make matters worse, there is some hip-hop event upstairs in the real Maritime Hall, and the building manager and venue security don't want to help the situation at all. We have a hard time even getting in and out of the building throughout the afternoon.

Googol Crew Reunion: Toblerone, Me, Toronto Chris, Steffan, Unknown happy girl, Adam (Photo - Toronto Chris)

Anyways, people begin showing up around 6 pm, having to argue their way past the hip-hop security. Chris Barr shows up unannounced with her very own Doc Martin from Toronto. Always good to see those two. Everyone mingles and has a great time, all things considered. Around 10:30, Creeping Death fires up their show. They play with literally no stage, just standing on the floor in front of everyone, with absolutely no barricade separating them from the front of the crowd. Great setlist though! All of the old stuff, played really well. It was amazing to see Bill at the mic - I constantly found myself doing a double-take, thinking the clock had been rewound 12 years and I was watching Het in a tiny venue during the Justice era...

Virginia Fuel booth

Around midnight, I made my way up to Bill in between songs and told him to keep playing more stuff, that it would be worth it. I hustled downstairs as the hip-hop show was letting out, and secured a couple parking spots outside the back entrance. After about 10 minutes, Kirk pulled in. We waited maybe another 15 minutes, then Lars rolled up, asking if "Cliff was still singing". We made our way up the back stairwell and entered the "cafeteria" through a side entrance as the band was about to kick in with another tune. Soon enough, everyone realized who had shown up, and the band kicked into a great rendition of One, with Lars and Kirk smiling and nodding along in the front row throughout. Soon enough, someone gave Lars a pair of sticks and threw a guitar over Kirk's shoulders. The small crowd was going nuts as the guys stomped through Die Die My Darling, And Justice for All, and a few others. Except for one drunk guy throwing cups of water at the drumset, everyone was really well-behaved, and kept their distance as the band played on. Kirk played literally a foot away from the front row, with no security. I can't remember the last time that was the case.

After several years of seclusion, the Starhanger makes an appearance... but who are those other two guys? (Photo - David Hutton)

After winding down for a few minutes outside the cafeteria, Kirk took off into the night, and Lars reappeared to sign autographs and shake hands with everyone for about half an hour. He was in a really great mood and had a good time. The band guys got a little private photo/chat session in with him afterwards, and then he made his way out. We packed up our gear and called it a night around 1:30 am, arriving back in San Rafael around 3 am. Not much sleep that night...after reviewing the video and pictures that we had shot throughout the event, Kim and the Swede started in on the vodka. I dozed off in a corner around 7 am, then was up again by 8 am to take Niclas to the city to meet up with his surfing companion who he's off to Hawaii with for a week (see issue 8.3 of So What). Let's just say that Kim is not a morning person, especially after having stayed up all night drinking... Anyways, we eventually get her up and moving, and we all pile in the truck and head off for the city. Upon arriving at said companion's pad, I go around to the back of the truck only to find that the tailgate had popped open somewhere between San Rafael and the 45-minute drive to the city. Not good, that's all I'll say. Leaving Niclas in a frantic state, Kim and I re-drive the route 2 or 3 more times that day, looking for what had been lost. No luck. Long story, with no good ending.

Kirk sits in for a few (Photo - Kim Bo)

Kim and I eventually wind up back at her hotel in the city, where it's time for a much-needed shower and nap. After a couple hours of Z's, we get cleaned up and head out to San Rafael for one last look on the sides of the highway for Niclas' belongings. Still no luck. We eventually give up and head back to the city. After a little walking around downtown, we're pretty worn out and starving, so we decide to treat ourselves to a fancy steak dinner. Well worth it.

Monday morning, 3:30 am...time to make our way to the airport for our early flights home. As Kim is getting packed up, I head out to fetch my rental truck from a parking garage a few blocks down the street. Upon reaching said parking facility, it is clear that they aren't open. Iron gates are locked across the entrance, and there is no one in sight. It turns out they don't open till 6:30 am, and it's only 4 am. Kim and I have 6 am flights. Not good. I hustle back to the hotel and scramble to get a later flight so that I can get my truck back to the airport before I leave. TWA says they can't help me out, and my ticket will cancel itself out of the system if I don't catch the 6 am flight. Figuring it'll cost me a good $1500 for a last-minute one-way plane ticket to the east coast later in the day, I jump in an airport shuttle with Kim and barely make my flight, running up to the gate at about 5:50 am. Wondering how I'll get my truck out of the garage, my personal stuff out of it, and the truck returned to the SFO Budget place, I doze off for the long flight home.