BIG FOUR = BIG SNORE

Someone has to say it: of all the hype, real or imagined, surrounding the first U.S. Big Four show in California this weekend and I, for one, am not buying it. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax playing together at one show? Yawn.

Dave Mustaine can’t sing / is a boring performer. Even when they aren’t down a member, Slayer are stiff as boards and one show isn’t distinguishable from any other. Anthrax are playing with Joey Suckadonna, which could nevertheless be mildly interesting. Metallica are always great live, even if their new material isn’t. So I’d basically be going to see a Metallica show with tepid warm-up act Belladonna Anthrax and two sets of statues in between.

The specter of such a show during the bands’ primes — or even close to their primes, between 25 and 15 years ago — would’ve been incredibly exciting. Now it just feels like a cash grab for the bands, duping fans looking to relive their glory years by paying insane ticket prices on top of whatever they’ve got to pay the babysitter and spend on $4.50/gallon gas to get out to Indio. To me it all seems like a waste. If I wanted to see Metallica I had nearly half a dozen chances in the past few years and will surely have more; if I want to see Belladonna butcher Bush-era Anthrax songs I will no doubt have the chance to see that in the near future. So what’s the point?

On the other hand, you would’ve gotten to see this: [from Invisible Oranges]

Weigh in with your thoughts on the Big Four below. Did any of you go out to Indio this weekend?

-VN