JOHN MARSHALL
Kirk’s childhood pal became Metallica’s guitar tech, and was drafted into the band twice when James got injured
How did you land the job as Kirk’s guitar tech?
“Kirk and I have known each other since we were 14 years old. When he formed Exodus, I used to hang out and help him set up for gigs and tune his guitar. Then when he joined Metallica, he told them about me, and at the end of 1983 I became their guitar tech. When I started, I took care of Cliff, James and Kirk’s guitars, but by the Ride The Lightning tour they had hired another tech, and that’s when I became Kirk’s tech exclusively.”
What requirements did he have for his guitars?
“Just that everything works and that the guitars are in tune. He did have this habit of telling me right before the band went onstage, while the intro tape was rolling, that he needed to clip his fingernails! So I learned to be prepared, and always have nail clippers handy.”
In 1986, James Hetfield broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident during the Ozzy tour. How did you end up filling in?
“The skateboarding accident happened in the afternoon before a show in Evansville, Indiana. Kirk told me, ‘Hey man, you’re gonna play guitar tonight!’ It was a bit surreal. It turned out that Metallica didn’t play that night, so we packed up the gear. It was my turn to drive the truck, and I listened to all my Metallica cassettes repeatedly. When we got to the hotel in Nashville that night, Kirk and I went over the guitar parts together. The next day, Ozzy’s crew gave us a long soundcheck so that we could practise the songs.”
What was the experience like?
“I had never really played in front of an audience before, much less in a band supporting Ozzy. Ozzy’s keyboard player was set up in sort of a ‘cave’, off stage right under the risers on the side, and this is where I was set up to play. There were monitors there that I could use to hear, and I could see the band, but the audience couldn’t see me. After the second or third song, James would introduce me, and I would come out and wave to the crowd, then go back to the cave. That first night I think we played five songs. I’m sure we didn’t play very well, but we pulled it off.”
You played in Metallica again in 1992, after James was burned by pyro.
How did it differ from 1986?
“Well, the crowds were bigger! They were on top of the world at that time. They had a No.1 album [The Black Album] and things were just firing on all cylinders. There was also the worry about James’s injury, and I think that created some tension – not so much with me, but just in overall mood.”
What’s your standout memory, from all your years with Metallica? “Playing the Day On The Green show at Oakland Stadium in 1992. My first concert was a Day On The Green, when I was 16 years old, and to come back 14 years later to play there was pretty incredible. I’m lucky to have had these experiences, and thankful to Kirk for sharing some of his Metallica life with me.”