Rob Trujillo and James Hetfield may have been playing alongside each other for almost two decades, however, the former has revealed that they don’t always get along.
During an appearance on Doc Coyle’s The Ex-Man With Doc Coyle Trijuli recalled a time when Hetfield really offended him in regards to his musical ability.
“I remember one time a few years ago — about three years ago — in Italy. Poor guy, he got stung by a bee in his face, I think it was. I don’t think he’s allergic, but there was poison oak going on. So your face is hurtin’, your body’s itchin’. You’re out there on the road. It’s raining…,” he began
“And one of the songs — like ‘Memory Remains’ or something… I had a lot in my head. Kirk [Hammett] and I were doing these duets and I’m singing in other languages. And Lars [Ulrich] threw, like, ‘Do a bass solo,’ kind of a day before. And I’m just, like, ‘Aaaargh…’ So I’m tense. And [James is] tense too, but we’re tense about different things.”
“And we’re going on stage very soon and things are running late. And we’re playing ‘Memory Remains’ [in the tuning room], and I’m just kind of jamming through it.
Trujillo explained that because they were rehearsing, he wasn’t really “jamming through it with full intensity” and admitted to “ghosting” on the song “a little bit”.
“And he’s, like, ‘You know the song?’ And this is a song we’ve played thousands of times. And I was insulted, because this is one of the easiest songs we play, and you’re asking me if I know the song. So I’m just kind of, like, ‘Yeah, I know the fucking s…’ I blew a fuse for a second.”
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“And then I felt horrible, and he felt horrible. And then we realized, I think, that I’m tripping on the load that I have on my shoulders over here; he’s tripping on this and this and probably… I mean, I get it, man — I’ve had poison oak; I’ve had bee stings before, and it ain’t fun. And you’re out there and you’re trying to be the best you can. So, rather than throwing your instruments down and coming to blows or anything like that, you work it out — you kind of calm yourself and you realize what’s going on.
“So even in our situation things like that can happen. And it’s just the nature of the beast. We’re all individuals and we all have our moments. So I always stress that — more now than ever.
“Word to the wise: always maintain your composure. You’re in a band — that’s cool — but it’s about the relationship and being the best you can be, the best human you can be, the best brother, the best comrade. And that’s very important to everything here.”
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