PULLING THE STRINGS
Conductor Edwin Outwater on how he helped Metallica bridge two worlds for S&M2
WHAT WAS IT LIKE FINALLY GETTING TO GET UP THERE AND PLAY THESE SONGS WITH METALLICA AFTER ALL THOSE MONTHS OF PREP?
“It was a blast. I think we’d been able to rehearse it together pretty well, so it was fun by the time we got to the actual shows. We worked out the circular stage and people being able to hear each other in the mix, and the band were happy. There were definitely some nerves all round, of course, but if you do your preparation right, the performances become fun, and credit to everyone involved that we were able to do that.”
WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS?
“The whole thing was a challenge! I think just being able to get the live mix to work in all of our ears, that took a lot of work and trial and error. It was always a bit of a tightrope because the room was so loud, and if the players can’t hear, things go south really fast. But we were able to power through, and the recorded results bear that out. The orchestra sounds great, the band sounds great.”
WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT IN THE SHOW THAT STOOD OUT FOR YOU?
“I think the second night, the fan club night, the singalong on The Memory Remains, the Marianne Faithfull thing. It just kept going and going, well after we had stopped. Metallica stopped, the orchestra stopped, I don’t think I’d ever experienced it. The audience could have done it for another hour. An incredible sense of connection.”
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER THE GUYS SAYING TO YOU AFTER THE SHOW?
“It was obviously a lot for them. It was great to get to know them in the period of a few days personally. I think we all kind of felt the same; we had all taken big risks, and we had accomplished something really special. There was a feeling of joy from the guys, and everyone involved. We all knew that this was a really special concert.”
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP?
“Well, it is the pandemic, so I've no idea what’s going to happen! Ha ha! I haven’t done a concert since March! I’m not pessimistic about a ton of new projects coming up, and I’m always waiting for my next rock’n’roll adventure.”