Metallica can’t be counted out at The Joint

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 | 9:50 a.m.

When: Wednesday.

Where: The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett was blazing through a guitar solo as the clock ticked toward midnight Wednesday at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

What to do? Cut short the hard rock band's most celebrated song, "One," for some ridiculous New Year's Eve countdown or press on, leaving 2004's first moments in the dust?

Get real. Let the lounge singers do the clock watching. We're talking about the biggest heavy metal band in the world here.

Metallica played every last passage of its anthemic rocker. Only then did the four musicians opt for a ridiculous countdown.

Singer/guitarist James Hetfield did the honors, then led the crowd of 1,850 -- with the help of a costumed Father Time -- through a priceless rendition of "Auld Lang Syne."

Confetti flew. Cell phones rang. Kisses and hugs were exchanged.

Then suddenly, lights went dark and it was time again for a much heavier form of merriment, as Metallica stampeded through the remainder of its 2-hour, 20-minute performance.

The band has played stadiums and large arenas almost exclusively for years, so despite prices of $300 and $500, tickets to Metallica's Joint debut were snatched up in 20 minutes after they went on sale in September.

Hard Rock scenesters abounded, though the crowd was mostly young men in their 20s and 30s. One fan in line said he paid a scalper $100 for a $300 ticket a few hours before showtime, a bargain price for such a New Year's Eve concert in Las Vegas.

Hetfield took notice of his strange surroundings during one break in the action.

"Wow, drink service in the front row. That's a first," he joked, one of several moments of unexpected levity from an act known for its furious tempos and malevolent lyrics.

The band's 18-song set covered all eras of its 20-year career, save for its critically dismissed 1996 and '97 albums "Load" and "Reload."

Three cuts came from 2003 release "St. Anger," a disc hailed as a return to form for Metallica.

One of those new tunes, the pounding "Frantic" sounded as if it has been in live rotation for years. On the flip side, "Dirty Window" was a momentum breaker, combining tuneless fast sections with peculiar dance-beat breakdowns.

Metallica's best compositions have always been the ones that go from 0-to-60, opening as intricate dual guitar pieces and building toward thunderous climaxes.

True to form, they pleased the crowd most on this night as well. Fans sang along with Hetfield's words, hummed to Hammet's guitar and thrashed to drummer Lars Ulrich's heavy backbeat through the many changes of "Fade to Black," "Master of Puppets" and the aforementioned "One."

The latter provided the evening's crescendo, as strobe lights accompanied Hetfield's frightening lyrics, drawn from Vietnam War novel "Johnny Got His Gun."

"Darkness / Imprisoning Me / All That I See / Absolute Horror / I Cannot Live / I Cannot Die / Trapped in Myself / Body My Holding Cell," Hetfield growled ferociously.

Metallica's newest member, bassist Robert Trujillo, jelled musically with his three bandmates. He also provided an interesting visual focal point, whipping his long hair braids and bouncing around the stage with the enthusiasm of a man recently asked to join Metallica.

Hetfield showed a sense of history, noting that Trujillo played The Joint earlier this year as a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band.

"Last time he played here was with the Madman," Hetfield said, referring to Osbourne by one of his nicknames.

Metallica capped off the night with three long encore segments, including hits "Nothing Else Matters" and "Enter Sandman."

During one of his solos in "So What," Hammett ran his guitar pick all the way down his fretboard, then fluidly tossed it to Hetfield, who immediately picked up the solo on his own instrument.

You get the feeling these guys have played a few shows together over the years.

But the show was not entirely without hiccups. The band aborted one song and paused a few other times while technicians worked to correct equipment problems. Trujillo's bass also fed back considerably on occasion.

"I think we killed this place," Hetfield quipped during some downtime.

For the most part, though, such issues were minor, especially in the eyes of the hardcore Metallica fans who gathered near the right side of the stage at show's end.

Their mission? To get doused with water, spit directly from the mouth of Ulrich. The drummer was only too happy to oblige, sending a few diehards home wet and happy.

For everyone else, Ulrich had a parting reminder that the band would be back again in 2004, for a more traditional show at the Thomas & Mack.

"Those of you who live here, we'll see you on March 13 across the street."