13 Greatest Ever Metallica Live Performances

7. The Stone, San Francisco, 1983

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv2BFKADlJM Sadly, there is no video footage available of this seminal early performance by the band at the tiny Bay Area club that played such an important part in the history of metal music, but it remains a hugely significant live performance for the band€™s genesis. This was after all the first time the band played live with Cliff Burton, who had been headhunted from Trauma after Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield had been blown away by his bass playing at the Whiskey A Go-Go. This was a water-shed moment for the band - still labelled as Power Metal - who incorporated Burton€™s technically unprecedented playing style and took thrash metal to new, more exciting places. Looking back on the time - the video shows a gig a few weeks later - it€™s clear to see not only why Burton was brought in, but also why the band were signed shortly afterwards.
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