So Metallica may or may not have been excessive is their use of a Cease and Desist notice to deter a Canadian covers band from using their logo at it’s show. And it appears that the once brilliant, now bland Thrash titans have made peace with Sandman, citing the actions off an over zealous attorney for the legal action.
I am not here to cast aspersions on the veracity of their claim. I believe them. A band the size of Metallica will have a retainered law firm in each major territory and it’s easy for one of these besuited pitbulls to scent an approval winning case and take an over-enthusiastic, sycophantic step.
Well, that was my first, highly cynical impression. The second, which drifted into my mind just as the original was packing it’s bags for a highly deserved vacation in Boca Raton, was what if Sandman had deliberately flouted intellectual property law to bring themselves to the attention of their idols? There must be hundreds of covers bands throughout the world playing the works of Hetfield and co, but now by deferring the suit against them, only one actually co-signed by Metallica themselves.
Even if the seek no further advantage from this, they have 41 pages of nostalgia and anecdote to rejoice in.
It’s ballsy and if they did so I admire them for it. But it does beg the question just how far would you go to make their favourite artist aware of your existence? A female fan once famously posted herself to the home address of 80’s pop star Gary Numan, who then subsequently married her. So extreme actions on this front seem to have positive outcomes.
I once threw my glasses on stage at A Perfect Circle show, hoping that the security would allow me to collect them. But sadly MJK stamped on them with a relish which made me doubt his compassion for those afflicted with myopia.
So, how far would you go, or have gone, to gain access to your favourite musicians?
– John Whitmore
Metallica: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes
Sandman: Facebook
