It’s not their most famous gig, but it easily ranks as one of their coolest. On June 12, 2008, Metallica played one of the smallest shows of their career: a secret event in a basement beneath Grimey’s New And Preloved Music in Nashville.
No pyro, no giant stage, no thousands-strong crowd – just metal’s biggest band crammed into a low-ceilinged sweatbox. Plus, they ripped through a setlist that was just as big a throwback to their early club days as the barrelling thrash of their then-impending album, Death Magnetic.
Two years later, that performance surfaced as Live At Grimey’s, which Metallica released exclusively for Record Store Day, bypassing streaming services entirely. Those who have heard it will attest: the album strips Metallica down to their rawest essence, a band operating on instinct, volume and the sheer thrill of the moment.
The idea was born at the South By Southwest festival, three months earlier. As Mike Grimes, co-owner of his namesake shop, explained to songwriter and podcaster Otis Gibbs, it was part of Metallica’s effort to reconnect with their fanbase. Eight years had passed since they sued Napster for copyright infringement, resulting in, among other things, the ban of over 300,000 Metallica fans from the platform. It quickly turned into a PR nightmare – and the divisive album that came out afterwards, St Anger, didn’t help at all.
“[Metallica] wanted to kind of mend some fences with the fanbase and writers and the media,” Grimes revealed. “The whole Napster thing had kind of put a sour taste in some people’s mouths about Metallica.”
Logistics were tricky. The band couldn’t fit into Grimey’s New And Preloved Music store itself – it was far too snug. But beneath Grimey’s was The Basement, a cozy little indie club with a capacity of 150. Grimes assumed the band would pass once they saw the venue’s modest size.
But, when a representative from Metallica’s management popped in to scout the scene, Grimes recalled, “They kind of chuckled and they were like, ‘This’ll be fucking great!’”
The secrecy surrounding the event was critical, given Nashville was and remains a musical hub where insider info spreads fast. Remarkably, Metallica and the organisers kept the show under wraps for three months, with the tightly-guarded guestlist limited to local fan club members, select media,and a few Nashville luminaries.
On the day of the show, a radio station teased that a Metallica tribute band, Phantom Lord, would be playing. However, anybody who walked past the tiny club, now surrounded by an armada of trucks and tour buses, knew the planned performers were no locals. A handful of uninvited fans gathered outside, and eight jammy police officers – self-proclaimed Metallica diehards – talked their way in, while others listened from the smoking lounge.
After a quick sound check, 175 capacity-breaking loyalists were ushered into The Basement. And, just like that, the band walked in and proceeded to tear through a ferocious nine-song set, opening with No Remorse and raging through classics like Master Of Puppets, Fuel and Harvester Of Sorrow. In the cramped space, the band’s performance was transformed into something primal and electric. Perceptive listeners could also pick out stitches of tracks like Slither, 2 X 4 and Mercyful Fate cover Satan’s Fall.
Ending with Seek and Destroy, it was a night of pure, adrenalised magic. “Appreciate you coming in here and helping us sweat,” James Hetfield told the crowd. “It’s great to see you, and it’s a great vibe in here, man. It feels good.”
Two years later – on November 26, 2010 – Live At Grimey’s was released as part of Record Store Day Black Friday, a limited-edition gift to fans and a love letter to independent record shops.
“Pretty much all of my musical inspirations and roots can be traced back to independent record stores,” Lars Ulrich said. “So when they asked us if we would release the Grimey’s performance, it was what we call a no-brainer.”
The recording itself is gloriously unpolished, capturing the sweat-drenched ferocity of the performance. It’s less a pristine live album and more a snapshot of a moment in time. As Grimes said, “You couldn’t put a bigger band in a smaller room.”
Live At Grimey’s remains a treasure for the faithful: a rare gem, capturing the band at their most visceral and immediate. It’s unavailable on streaming services, so if you ever stumble across a copy of Live At Grimey’s, don’t hesitate. Pick it up, run home and turn the volume up to 11.
This isn’t just a live album. It’s proof that, in the right circumstances, legends can be born again – even in a basement.
