Jason Newsted on Metallica’s Rock Hall Induction: “The Black Album Band Will Be Back”

Photo: Natkin/WireImage Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is excited about his trip to Cleveland, Ohio, in two weeks. And why shouldn’t he be? The band he spent 15 years slapping his bass for, the mighty Metallica, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4th, and for the first time in nine years, “the Black Album band will be back together and mow the shit down,” as he puts it. That’s right. Newsted has confirmed for Rolling Stone that he’s going to be onstage with the band he left back in 2001, along with guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo. Newsted says former bassist Ron McGovney will also be on hand for the honors, as will Ray Burton, the father of the man Newsted replaced, the late Cliff Burton. “There’s three bass players getting inducted, and James, Lars and Kirk,” he says. Former guitarist Dave Mustaine, who now fronts Megadeth, will not be inducted, however. “Its not my decision. I have nothing to do with that. It was decided by the band, and I think it was just a hard-and-fast rule… anyone who has recorded on any Metallica recordings that have been released to the public as an official release were invited to the induction. So, that’s kind of that.” According to Newsted, it was Ulrich who made the “very recent” call, inviting him to Cleveland for the induction. “I talked to Lars, and it’s all good,” Newsted said. “I was happy to hear from him. I hadn’t talked to him for a long time, so it was nice to hear his voice.” The last time the two had spoken was a few years ago, during a System of a Down show. “It was basically as if no time had passed, as far as the conversation went,” Newsted recalls, adding that the two started referencing long-forgotten inside jokes almost immediately. “We picked up right where we left off. It was just absolutely positive. It was like, there we were, getting ready to get a beer some place. And Lars is ready to roc
	Published: 2009-03-27 Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News, Metallica, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame