How have you been making use of your quarantine time?
If you’re Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, you’ve been spending at least part of it being blown away by your two sons whipping up a prog-jazz-metal instrumental jam on the Beatles classic, Eleanor Rigby.
The performance, by Myles and Layne Ulrich, came about after their dad was invited by Salesforce to be a guest at one of the company’s fireside chats.
Musical guests traditionally perform a song at the end of the interview, but as Ulrich told Rolling Stone, “I’m like, ‘Nobody wants a fucking drum solo.'”
Enter 21-year-old Myles, a drummer who has studied at Berklee College of Music and also plays clarinet and guitar, and 18-year-old Layne, who plays guitar and bass, who have both been sequestered at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ulrich asked them to whip something up, and in 30 minutes they came back with this glitchy octaver-fuzz-bass-and-drums Beatles jam, which sounds closer to cult math-rock heroes Lightning Bolt than anything from the Fab Four.
“It was like this insane, three-minute Blue Cheer, crazy, garage-rock version of Eleanor Rigby,” Ulrich said.
“Obviously, there’s been some incredible versions of Eleanor Rigby along the way, but I’m pretty sure there’s never been one that had this kind of sound, this kind of feel, this kind of energy and madness to it.
"I was like, 'You know what, boys? You done me proud.' ”
Ulrich then filmed the rendition for Salesforce.
“That’s me standing in the corner filming it, going, ‘Holy fuck!,' ” he said.
At the same time, Ulrich wasn’t wholly surprised by his children's musical prowess. He reports they listen to everything from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Stanley Clarke to Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and the White Stripes.
As for what they think of Metallica?
“They’re appreciative,” Ulrich offered. “I think they’re fans enough, I would say.”
