Metallica are arguably the biggest metal act in the world. With the electric guitar duo of Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield at the forefront of their sound, the thrash metal group forged the essential elements of the genre and became its most important champions.
But they had a lot of early struggles according to the group that introduced them to audiences on their first tour. The San Francisco metallers made their first U.S. road trip in 1983 as the opening act for the British group Raven. And apparently their sound and appearance led many in the audience to ask, “What the hell is this?”
Raven was formed in Newcastle, England in 1974 by brothers Mark and John Gallagher and quickly became a force within the growing New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. After playing shows with Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead and Iron Maiden in the early 1980s, Raven embarked on their first U.S. headlining shows in support of their third album, All for One.
“We came out to do our first tour of the States, and our management was the same as Metallica’s,” guitarist Mark Gallagher remembers. “They were just starting out, and [Megaforce Records founder] Jonny Z, who was our manager at the time, said, ‘I’ve got the biggest band on the West Coast from San Francisco. They’re gonna open for you.’
"We were like, ‘Really? Who’s that?’”
John Gallagher, Raven's bass guitar player says they couldn’t believe their luck.
“When you thought of the big bands in San Francisco, it’s a long list. I mean… there was Y&T and even Journey."
Instead, they were told they were going out with Metallica.
"We were like, ‘Who?’”
Management sent over a cassette of Metallica's debut, Kill ‘Em All, which had been released that July and would pave the way for a thrash metal movement. Recalls John, “I put it in, played it, and I’m going, ‘Does this sound like it’s at the right speed?’ It kind of sounded like if you put a Motörhead album on at 78 rpm."
“We kind of dug it,” Mark adds. “We thought it was like a more refined Motörhead, like, real kick ass."
"It kind of sounded like if you put a Motörhead album on at 78 rpm."
— John Gallagher
Unfortunately, audiences didn't share their enthusiasm. "When we went out and played the shows, a lot of places didn’t like Metallica," Mark explains. "They were like, ‘What the hell is this?’
Adding to the unusual experience, Raven found themselves playing venues in some of the country's far-flung places.
“Other than the major markets, we played some nutty places on that tour, like Bald Knob, Arkansas, and some really weird gigs,” Mark says. “The whole thing was quite an experience.”
Debut tours are vital acid tests in the rise and fall of bands vying to be their generation’s next superstars. They can help launch a band to success and teach valuable lessons, like Alex Lifeson’s eye-opening experience opening for Rory Gallagher in 1974.
It all apparently paid off for Metallica. Despite their frosty reception, they would go from strength to strength and become one of the biggest bands in the world. The group is among the many acts who will be featured in Black Sabbath’s all-star final show in Birmingham this summer.
In addition, Metallica's former lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, would find fame with Megadeth and battle it out with Metallica to lead the thrash metal pack. However, two of the band’s former guitarists, Marty Friedman and Chris Poland, have downplayed the rivalry between the bands and now say they learned a lot from Metallica’s success.
Guitar World’s full interview with Raven is due to be published on its website soon.
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