While U2 may not have been able to start their late night residency, but another iconic 80s band has taken up theirs on an even later spot on the television schedule. Metallica kicked off their week-long residency on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson last night and started with a bang, playing the first song the group ever recorded, "Hit The Lights."
The group promised to bring the noise this week, telling Rolling Stone, "What better way to celebrate Craig's awesome tenure at CBS than to come and shake the rafters for a whole week."
"Hit The Lights" was featured on their first compilation, Metal Massacre, and was the opening track on their debut album, Kill 'Em All. The group, used to large stadiums, scaled down the production for the more intimate crowd, but they didn't short-change the showmanship and musicianship. The foursome showed off the energy they bring to a live performance and the technical prowess each possesses on their respective instruments.
Drummer Lars Ulrich and frontman James Hetfield also sat down with Craig Ferguson for an interview.
This is a part of Craig Ferguson's send off before he retires from the show on Dec. 13.
Metallica is prepping re-releases of the documentary, Some Kind Of Monster, with vinyl re-releases of new material as well. They will hit stores on Black Friday, Nov 28, as part of Record Store Day.
Tune in tonight to watch Metallica perform again and see what song they choose to play this time. You can rewatch the full episode on the CBS website, which includes Ferguson's monologue, the interview and the full live performance of "Hit The Lights." You can watch Metallica's night one on The Late Late night show below.
