Synopses & Reviews
Metallica: The Club Dayz is a collection of photographs of the now legendary rock band Metallica, between 1982 and 1984. This book contains rare and exclusive photographs from six of the bands earliest performances including their first shows in San Francisco at The Stone and The Old Waldorf which featured the original lineup with Dave Mustaine (guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass), Cliff Burton's introductory gig with the band at The Stone, the last Metallica show with Dave Mustaine, and Kirk Hammetts Metallica debut. As chief photographer of Metal Rendezvous International, a groundbreaking heavy rock magazine that was published throughout the 80s, Bill Hale was given unlimited access to hang out with and photograph this then-fledgling metal band. His job at the time was to capture the band onstage and offstage and provide the magazine with unique photographs of Metallica, from the band showcasing their brazen live energy in concert, to unveiling some of their crazy and unpredictable backstage antics. Bill Hale was right there from the very beginning, capturing the band before, during and after their performances. He was at every one of their early Bay Area shows, without the safety of a photo pit, crushed among the savage crowd as they head-banged fearlessly to the music of their local heroes. Here, for the first time Bill Hale opens up his photo vault. Witness one of the greatest rock bands of all time during their embryonic stage. Influenced musically by the new breed of British metal yet epitomizing the punk rock attitude, Metallicas loud, snotty and dont five a fuck attitude is very evident in these photographs. Most of the photos in this book have never been published and many of the images have never before been revealed to the public. Metallica: The Club Dayz is a long lost chapter of this bands visual history.
Synopsis
Rare and exclusive photographs fill the pages of this visual history of Metallicas debut shows in San Francisco. Influenced musically by the new breed of British metal, yet epitomizing the punk rock scene, the band's loud, snotty, and dismissive attitude is evident everywhere in these photographs that document six of the legendary band's earliest performances. Tracing the band's growth, there are shots of Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney playing together, Cliff Burton's introductory gig with the band at The Stone, the last Metallica show with Dave Mustaine, and Kirk Hammett's Metallica debut. Behind the camera is the book's author, who was invited behind the scenes to hang out and photograph the bands brazen energy in concert, as well as their crazy and unpredictable backstage antics. Shot without the safety of a photo pit, many of the photographs are close-ups of wild crowds as they head-bang fearlessly to the music of their local heroes. Perfect for browsing, the collection is interesting in its contribution to music history, for its intriguing photography, and as a documentary on the youth culture in the Bay area during the 1980s.
About the Author
"Fans of Metallica will love this intimate look at the band, from more than two decades back. Bill Hale takes us on that journey, offering a massive dose of heavy metal mania." Shelf Life
"All I can say is wow. The holy grail of Metallica's early era in photography. This is one awesome book along with the text that goes with each photo. Any Metallica fan from any era has got to check this book out." Good Time Metal Oldies Blog
"Hale captures the edgy essence of the young band . . . If you are a serious Metallica fan or just a purveyor of rock history, this book is a must-see." Sacramento Book Review
"One of those few books that are more than developed film on paper, but a time machine in book form . . . Bill Hale is to Metallica as Astrid Kirchherr was to the Beatles." antiMusic.com
"Hales shotsdamn, he was just a kid tooare top-shelf, crisp, clear, colorful, and kinetic. Some remind me of Ross Halfin. He had full access backstage and wasnt afraid to wade into the pit to get crucial shots from the front. He has a good eye for the pose, and his fans eye view allows him to capture shots that more experienced and blasé snappers might pass up . . . A slim volume but very much worth it for all serious students of metal." Ink 19
"This happens to be the earliest account of photos to surface on this bands early period . . . this book is a must have for the true Metallica fan." Big Wheel Magazine