Metallica have compared their preparations for their August 29th Encore Drive-In Nights concert to a “bubble” like the one the NBA is currently using in order to complete its season.
Drummer Lars Ulrich described that bubble during a full-band appearance to The Howard Stern Show from their Bay Area rehearsal space. He pointed out that a tight group of 25 to 30 people from their team is helping them get ready for the show, which will be screened at drive-ins and outdoor theaters across the U.S. and Canada.
Band members also spoke about social distancing while rehearsing, with Ulrich telling Stern that he wore his mask the entire time, although singer James Hetfield was obviously not able to do so.
Hetfield said they “got tested practically every other day or something crazy,” but that he’s undergone similarly invasive tests for years, since he’s had to have his vocal cords probed for nodes. He said it’s “still not fun…to have a stick shoved in your face.” Guitarist Kirk Hammett joked that shoving things up his nose reminds him of his “bad old drug days.”
The band played three songs on the show — “Wherever I May Roam,” “The Unforgiven” and “All Within My Hands.” (Billboard, Blabbermouth)
