Metallica producer Greg Fidelman has not only been at the helm for the band’s last two studio efforts, he’s also joined the group on the road to aid drummer Lars Ulrich.
Ulrich uses four drums sets on the band’s current tour, and the drummer admitted that it’s been “tricky” making them all function in the live show the way he wants. Fidelman explained on The Metallica Report podcast: “I don’t think he’s looking forward to pushback,” he said of joining the group on the road. “But yeah, this tour is challenging in its own crazy little way; especially for him with the four drum sets. We knew that was going to be a bit hairy, but we had no idea how hairy. And he didn’t either. Once we did a few shows, [he’d say], ‘This is really, really tricky; I wish this was better; how can we get this better?'”
Fidelman and engineer Sara Lyn Killion have helped Ulrich sort things out.
“And then, he just wants me and Sara out there as well,” Fidelman said. “Just the people that he’s… You know, the live guys are amazing in what they do, but they’re when it gets into this sort of… crazy, nitty-gritty stuff that me and Sarah do every day when we’re working on a record — that’s what it all [about]; really finessing everything. And the live thing is much more, ‘Go, go go!'”
“We sort of went in there to help crack the code on sort of some of those things, [and find out] what can we do differently. And we work with the with the live guys. Like, ‘How do you do this? Is there a different way you could do it? Is there a reason why we can’t change this?’ That sort of stuff.”
Fidelman also said Lars has been practicing more in recent months to stay in top form.
“He’s playing great,” Fidelman said. “He’s been practicing… and no one’s asking him to do it. He’s doing it himself. He’s mentioned this to me, I’m not making that up, but the fact that he is the age that he is — obviously, this doesn’t get easier, right? I think it’s inspired him to work on it harder because it’s not so automatic.”
Watch Fidelman’s full interview below:
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