Customer Reviews

Metallica: Club Dayz 1982-1984

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
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Bill Hale does it again in this cohesive and exclusive collection of photos documenting Metallica's rise towards their legendary metal czar status while cutting their teeth in the club circuit. For those like myself who didn't get to be there, this is as close as we'll get.

Megadeth fans should obviously pick this up as well, as there is a huge dose of Dave throughout this incredible photo compilation.

I look forward to seeing more of Bill Hale's work.

5 STARS!!!

Kudos to Bill Hale for a back stage look at one of the greatest bands. Its igreat to see them as not the huge rock stars they are, but as young kids trying to make it and have fun doing it. I can only hope more books like this come out from other great bands in rock. A must for any Metallica fan. How about a sequel with Megadeth?

...for the same reason I don't "read" Playboy. I admit it: I am a voyeur. Bill Hale must be one too because he takes an awful lot of pictures. Metallica (at least in the days that most die-hard fans I know lament) must have approved of "voyeurism" because they didn't seem to mind being looked at. In fact, the unique relationship they exhibited with their one-man, personal Paparazzi is what sets this collection apart from any other, aside from the rarity of the subject matter.
I don't own a coffee table, but when the hard-bound version gets released, this may be the impetus I need to justify going out and buying one to accommodate my many voyeuristic friends.
Aloha.

In 1982 there was an underground movement in San Francisco that was born on the concepts of the NWOBHM, but taken to a whole new level, and Bill Hale was there to document it. Most people have heard the tales and stories of Metallica during the early years, but only have a few pictures and a grainy video to go on. If you were lucky enough to have been a fan in those dayz, Master of Puppets dayz, Black Album dayz, or have just discovered Metallica today, this book is a MUST! The pictorials are so real and raw, that it would even have "The Old Bridge Militia" jaws dropping with amazement. The book is based around 6 gigs starting in September of 1982 to September of 1983. Five out of the six shows are with Dave Mustaine on guitar and the first three are with Ron McGovney on bass and it kind of makes you wonder, "Hey Bill where are the shots with Lloyd Grant?"(Just Kidding). Some of the live shots that he took of the crush of the crowd against the stage, especially at The Old Waldorf show are so intense, that he actually captured a moment in time that makes you feel the energy and passion that Metallica had created between themselves and the Bay Area Faithful....Simply Amazing! One of the special moments in the book is the photo documentation of Cliff Burton's first gig with Metallica. Bill Captured the bell bottomed free spirited bass player back stage moments before he took the stage for the first time! That is not only Metallica history, but that is Rock & Roll history! "The Young Metal Attack" was just about to be transformed and ready for takeoff and it was all caught on film. Another very notable shot, which is almost like catching KISS without their makeup on in the 70's, is Dave Mustaine and Kirk Hammett backstage together, when Kirk was in Exodus and they were opening for Metallica. The beginning of the book starts with a few memoirs, most notably with Ron Quintana from "Metal Mania" fame. This is the man who coined the term Metallica, which now is a household name. It was great reading his recounts on the early dayz. Lastly, this book is just as much Rock & Roll history as when The Beatles played The Cavern Club all those times in their early dayz, but the only difference is, unfortunately for The Beatles, Bill Hale was not there to document the ride!

Thank You Bill Hale for opening up your vault! MUYA!
Peter Rod-New York

Bill Hale has managed to "wow" me with amazing, exclusive, and unique photos documenting Metallica's early years that lead to their insurmountable fame in Metallica: The Club Dayz 1982-1984 [ECW Press, 2009]. Metallica, likely the most popular and legendary band in history for their genre, is accurately captured and provides readers with a glimpse of real history. Hale has managed to bring this megastar band a level of humanity and innocence (if that is possible?) that I have personally never encountered. This work allows the hundreds of thousands of us who `missed it' to be follow along as the metal monsters did their time in the club scenes. With a generous mix of photo pit and candid photography, Hale proves himself an artist in a class of his own.

Fans of Megadeth also find themselves enamored by Club Dayz, getting a glimpse of a young Dave when he was still part of Metallica. Bill, looking forward to the next snapshot of history that you allow me to accompany you through!

(Of note, as I know the author I'm a little biased)

Really enjoyed this book and pictures. Kept referring to it while wathching their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well done and strongly suggest everyone purchase it.

Metallica: The Club Dayz 1982-84 is the only collection of photographs of this era of Metallica's career. Bill Hale's intuition to photograph these guys before they had even released their first album has made it possible for everyone to own this collection of rare and some never seen before photos of this band. The book begins with the first of the S.F. shows and the original line up of the band and ends with Kirk Hammett's introduction. Until now it has been difficult to find pictures of Dave Mustaine in Metallica and the live shots capture their raw energy. The backstage and on the street shots portray their attitudes and give a glimpse into who they were as people, not just musicians. This is a must have for everyone who considers them self a Metallica fan or who appreciates fine photography. Join Metallica as they celebrate their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame by familiarizing yourself with where it all began!!

After being disinterested with my "Ultimate Metallica" Photograph book by Ross Halfin I had almost given up my conquest of finding interesting Metallica photographs that didn't contain poor forewords, captions and hundreds of repeat photos, not to mention airbrushing.

Fortunately a friend spoke up and led me in a positive direction...I was brought into the world of Bill Hale and some wonderful photos that really captured and captivated. Beautiful spontaneity that you want from a picture that can speak a thousand words.

This book contains photos that you will not see if published by Metallica, as anyone with inside knowledge of Metallica's inner workings you will understand that "Photo Approval" can sometimes mean that the chain of command often goes to the very top, which means Lars Ulrich. Lars controls photo approval just like he controls the Set-List at every Metallica show, because he can.

Inside this book you'll see photos that may be 30 years old but only now are seeing light today thanks to the work of the author and snapshots that were taken.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised because some of the photos were a great tribute to the past, and if you are a fan of Dave Mustaine you will absolutely love this book as it shows Dave with the band in quite some candid alcoholic fuelled photography back when these guys played the clubs just for beer money or a few drinks at the bar.

Concluding, this is a rare insight and even the most diehard Metallica or Megadeth fan will be surprised at the amount of photographs that they have never seen.
I'm pretty sure my peers agree with me as every review on Amazon has given this book 5 stars and why wouldn't you? It's a glimpse into a past that many still reminisce about.
Well worth the price!

Bill Hale is one of the greatest metal photographers of our time. As a rock photographer since the late '70s shooting everyone from Black Sabbath, Queen, Judas Priest, UFO and Thin Lizzy in their prime, and living around the Bay Area at the time, Bill was one of the few to visually capture the beginning of the thrash metal movement in the early '80s and was perhaps the first photographer to capture the early days of METALLICA! This book features brilliant photographs from the very first shows Metallica ever played in the Bay Area with original bassist Ron McGovney and original guitarist Dave Mustaine on through the first club shows with Cliff Burton and the very first show featuring Kirk Hammett (on the "Kill 'Em All For One" Tour w/ opening for Raven). The book contains not only groundbreaking live photos from the band performing at legendary SF clubs The Stone, The Old Waldorf and Ruthies but also great backstage and off-stage photos of a then-unsigned "garage band" who would eventually take over the world! Bill Hale was there from the very beginning to visually capture Heavy Metal History! A Must Buy for the true Metallica fan!!

This book is totally awesome. If you are a Metallica fan, you must buy it. The story is cool. But the pictures are freaking cool. Made me feel I was there.