Playing under the Name SPUN the band played a short 9 song set at the Club Kimo in San Francisco - and despite claims that the band will be auditioning new bassplayers shortly in a Limp Bizkit-esque style audition tour, they were joined on stage by legendary(ish) producer Bob Rock, who is producing their next album (currently being recorded) as well as playing bass and doing back-up vocals on the album. Bob Rock whose produced many a Metallica, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue record, as well as his own short-lived band Rockhead, who were only famous for having Skinny Puppy remix one of their singles back in 1990.
Coming on stage and calling themslevs "hi, We're Bob's band", the setlist was as follows: Commando, Today Your Love Tomorrow The World, 53rd and 3rd, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (all of which are Ramones covers), Hit The Lights, Leper Messiah, No Remorse, For Whom The Bell Tolls, an as yet untitled new song and closing with The Misfits Die Die My Darling .
Rumours had suggested that Dave Ellefson, Ex-Megadeth, was the most likely contender to join the band, but now it seems that Bob Rock, who brought us such thrash metal masterpieces as Bon Jovi's "New Jersey", Motley Crue's glam classic "Dr Feelgood", and has worked with such influential thrash metal artists as Cher and Bryan Adams has to all intents and purposes joined the band in everything but name, and short of an official announcement. (Warning: there might be some sarcasm there in describing Cher, bryan Adams and Bon Jovi as thrash acts!)
Rumours of millions of Mullet-headed American metallers clutching their precious copies of "Kill 'Em all" and "Master of Puppets" and crying into their cans of Bud remain unconfirmed - but the once mighty Metallica's descent into credibility-free stadium rock seems almost inevitable. it's enough to make you want to smash your promo only green vinyl 12" of "fade to black " (current valuation : silly money ) into little pieces in disgust; if I hadn't already sold it that is.....