Mentallica

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Date/Fri 31 March, 2006
Reviewed by/Alan Howard
Photography by/Alan Howard

Mentallica are Europe’s leading Metallica tribute band. Frontman Chris Johns even bears an uncanny resemblance to Metallica’s main man, James Hetfield, in his ‘Enter Sandman’ days.

The music for tonight’s show is an essential selection from the rock band’s 11-album history. Johns and founding fellow Punk bassist Dave Headley greet fans with a customary growl and then, to quote ‘Sandman’, we are ‘off to Never Neverland’. Tonight’s show brings something from just about every Metallica album with the exception of 2003’s St. Anger’.

Plinston is filled with die-hard Metallica fans. Words emanating from the stage are chanted back line by line. Mentallica save all the classic stuff for the second set, a sort of ‘greatest hits of metal’ compilation.

‘Sandman’ gets everyone up on their feet, Heads and air guitars shaking. There’s room for just one slow number, to allow everyone to get their breath back. ‘Nothing Else Matters’ brings a change of tone and setting before Mentallica bring to show to a close with a bang. Aid Coleman’s maverick guitar solo and drummer Martin Pritchard’s frenzied attack on ‘Sad but True’ leading the way.

With Metallica set to play only a single gig here this year, it takes a band like Mentallica to ensure UK music fans can get to hear this music live on a regular basis. For Mentallica’s full roster of live dates visit www.mentallica.net

First set:
The Four Horsemen; Master of Puppets; Harvester of Sorrow; For Whom the Bell Tolls; Welcome Home (Sanitarium); Of Wolf and Man; Ain’t My Bitch.

Second set:
Fuel; So What; Enter Sandman; Seek and Destroy; The Memory Remains; Nothing Else Matters; Sad but True; One; Am I Evil?