Coming soon - The Big Four DVD

For fans of classic metal this is the biggest thing to come down the pipe in a long while. 

When the “Big Four,” Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, shared a stage together on June 22nd, 2010, in Sofia, Bulgaria, it was the moment their fans had waited decades for.  That monumental show was beamed live into over 1000 theatres worldwide via satellite in a special HD cinematic event.

These four acts broke out of the underground thrash movement in the 1980’s to dominate the metal world, selling millions of records and packing arenas across the globe. Despite huge demand, these musical giants had never shared the same stage.  The legendary concert from the tour’s stop of the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria aired the same day in 79 movie theaters in the U.K, over 450 theaters in over 140 markets in the U.S., as well as being beamed into theaters in Europe, Canada, Latin America, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica says of this historic show, "Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's Big Four would not only still be around, be more popular than ever, playing shows together at stadiums all over Europe, and on top of that, coming to a movie theater near you in High Definition (for better or worse??!!).  Bring it on!"

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian says, “Damn, as if this Big 4 tour wasn't exciting enough now we get to be on the big screen worldwide! Metal at the movies, two big horns up!  It is unbelievably gratifying that this means so much to the metal community around the globe. Get your tix, grab some popcorn and get ready to bang your head!”

Declares Slayer’s Kerry King, “I can’t believe someone didn’t make this happen 15 years ago!  The fans finally get what they want.  I think it’s awesome!”

Says Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, “The magnitude of this event hasn't really sunk in yet, and I am thrilled to know that people around the planet will be able to walk into a movie theatre and experience the greatest line up of Heavy Metal in the history of the world!”

  

CLIFF BURTON (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986)

Today marks the anniversary of the passing of Cliff Burton, the original bassist for Metallica. 

During the European leg of the Damage Inc. tour the band complained that the sleeping cubicles on their tour bus were uncomfortable and in order to decide who was getting the pick of the bunks, Kirk Hammett and Cliff drew cards.  On the evening of September 26, 1986, Cliff had won the game with an Ace of Spades and asked to sleep in Kirk's bunk. He was asleep when at several minutes before 7 am, on the 27^th, when the bus skidded off of the road and flipped.  Burton was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of him, crushing him to his death.

James Hetfield later stated that he first believed the bus flipped because the driver was drunk, claiming his breath smelled of alcohol after the accident. Hetfield also stated that he himself walked long distances down the road looking for black ice and found none.

Police detective Arne Pettersson was reported in a local newspaper to have said the pattern of the tracks at the accident site were exactly like ones seen when drivers fall asleep at the wheel. However the driver stated under oath that he had slept during the day and was fully rested and the driver of the second tour bus confirmed his testimony.  The driver was determined not at fault for the accident and no charges were brought against him.

Burton was a Bay Area native who had dedicated himself to excellence on the instrument in honor of his brother, who had passed away when Cliff was 13.  When his band Trauma played the Whisky a Go Go in 1982, two audience members (James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich) were so struck by his solo abilities that they initially mistook it for a guitar solo. When they actually saw who was playing, they couldn’t believe it was a bassist. They asked Cliff to join the band, but he refused not wanting to move from his home in the bay area.  It took a bit of convincing and a move for Metallica from L.A. to the San Francisco Bay Area, but eventually Cliff joined the band.

On April 4, 2009, Cliff Burton was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with the rest of Metallica. During the ceremony, the induction was accepted by Cliff's father, Ray Burton, who shared the stage with the band and mentioned that Cliff's mother was actually Metallica's biggest fan.

METALLICA'S FIRST CHOICE...

Here’s a little trip in to Rock ‘N Roll history for you - Metallica’s first album, recorded in 1983 was titled “Kill ‘Em All” but this was not the original title for the album.

Metallica, then consisting of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine and Cliff Burton, originally wanted to call the album Metal Up Your A** - the cover art would have featured a toilet bowl with a hand clutching a dagger emerging from it.

Distributors refused to carry the album with that title and the band’s label convinced them to change it. Cliff Burton (who was later killed in a bus accident while on tour) came up with the title Kill ‘Em All, a veiled reference to the record distributors who had balked at their original title.

The album was not a commercial success and peaked at #120 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1988.