Metallica donated $500,000 to LA fire relief efforts.
After Metallica bassist Jason Newsted left the band in 2001, producer Bob Rock found himself in an unexpected position as Metallica’s new temporary bassist. In a recent interview with Bass Player, Rock admits that he had “never really played bass” before, outside of recording personal demos.
His great ear and guitar skills, however, allowed him to get the job done. Rock also explained that he thinks the whole situation worked out well because of the close ties he had with the band.
“The great thing was that I had no aspirations to join the band, so I didn’t have anything to lose,” he said. “They’re close friends of mine and we’ve got a great relationship, so it was a great position to be in. The guys who auditioned had a lot to think about, but if I screwed up or if it didn’t work out, it wasn’t a big deal. Therefore I was free to do whatever I wanted, and luckily enough, it worked.”
Describing his approach to his bass playing on the record, Rock added: “I know what I like to hear on bass, so it was a matter of just executing it. The big difference on that record as a whole is that I tried to define the bass in more of a classic role of working with the drums rather than going with guitar. At every opportunity I concentrated on staying with Lars [Ulrich].”
