Primus founder Les Claypool recently recalled his audition for Metallica in an interview with Grammy. Claypool, auditioning with the insistence of Kirk Hammett after the passing of the band’s bassist Cliff Burton, was not chosen as the bassist.
After that rejection, some started speculating that the ‘real’ reason behind Metallica turning Claypool down was because singer James Hetfield told the Primus rocker he was ‘too good‘ for them, but apparently, that wasn’t the case as Les addressed the myth, saying:
“He [Hetfield] definitely did not say that. He said that later on in an interview, which was very kind of him. I think they thought I was a freak. They were very nice — Lars [Ulrich] was particularly kind — and, of course, I knew Kirk from high school. But I think that James thought I was some sort of thug. Put it this way, I definitely didn’t look the part.”
The bassist then recalled his ‘failed’ audition and how he met the band in the first place, sharing:
“Well, at the time, I think they just thought I was some weirdo. You know, me and Kirk [Hammet] went to high school together. In fact, Kirk used to sell me weed. I didn’t know much about Metallica as I wasn’t into the metal scene. I was doing all this abstract stuff, but I knew Kirk’s band was doing pretty well.”
Mentioning that he had also met Cliff Burton before the bassist passed away, Claypool added:
“I met Cliff [Burton] right before he passed because he had come to a show that we did with Faith No More. He was buddies with all those guys. He was very pleasant, very complimentary, and very nice. And so when he died, Kirk gave me a shout.”
Less then recalled the audition once again, and mentioned the outfit he wore that day:
“I showed up with two different color tennis shoes on, a braided mohawk, and baggy skater pants. I just did not fit. I didn’t fit, and I’m there playing a bass that looked like a hunk of driftwood. I was sort of like an alien.”
Though he was not chosen as the Metallica bassist, it seems that Claypool has respect for their current bassist Robert Trujillo. He concluded:
“But they have literally one of the best bassists there is right now and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the music industry, and that’s [Robert] Trujillo. He’s a great guy and a great player. He and I did a little thing recently for this short film my son made, and it was very cool.”
In an earlier interview, the bassist clarified his admiration for Trujillo, stating that he would’ve lasted only a few months if chosen. Additionally, he believed that the band declined to choose him because he ‘didn’t fit and they saw it’.
According to Claypool, the audition he had with Metallica had an impact on the sound of Primus. The band’s music was initially influenced by Peter Gabriel and had a sound similar to Public Image Ltd. and XTC. However, as time passed, their music became more ‘edgier’ and was influenced by Metallica.
