The Many Faces Of Metallica: 2003 Rob Trujillo

Metallica
Summer Sanitarium
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, Ca
August 9, 2003

Metallica had just released the St. Anger CD about 8 weeks before this tour came through Los Angeles.  There were a number of notable changes this time around: the band was growing their hair out a bit; black t-shirts and jeans were brought back into the mix; and for the first time, a conscious decision was made by the band to give up alcohol.  But the band had one more trick up their sleeves, a secret weapon – new bass player Rob Trujillo.

As I popped off photos that night, I remember feeling the energy that Trujillo was giving off.  He was so powerful that the rest of the band had no choice but to try to keep up with Trujillo as he set the tone and pushed the band song after song.  It was the first time I felt true, pissed off energy from Metallica in years.  St. Anger may not have been the right choice, but Rob Trujillo definitely was.

One strange note worthy of mentioning: as I was in the photo pit that night, dodging crowd surfers that fall from the crowd into my tiny world, you will never guess who fell in.  Quentin Tarantino – sporting a $120 Metallica hockey jersey.  As security guards escorted him out, Quentin high fived me after experiencing his very first taste of crowd surfing.  He was on a natural high with a smile a mile wide.

Photographed with my Canon EOS-1 and a f5.6 Canon 80-300mm  lens.  Shot on Fujichrome film.