March 5, 1983 stands as one of those hinge-point dates in heavy metal history. A really, massive hinge.
On that night, Metallica took the stage at The Stone in San Francisco for what would be their first-ever show with bassist Cliff Burton, freshly recruited just months earlier after replacing original bassist Ron McGovney in December 1982. Burton’s arrival would soon redefine the band’s musical ambition, stage presence, and identity — but on that night, everything was still in flux.
Adding to the historical weight of the show was the fact that Metallica‘s guitarist at the time was Dave Mustaine, who had yet to be fired from the band and was still several months away from forming Megadeth. Meanwhile, future Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett was still holding court in Exodus, making this lineup a fleeting anomaly that would never exist again.
Check out the audio portion below, which features the following songs.
- The Mechanix
- Phantom Lord
- Jump In The Fire
- Motorbreath
- No Remorse
- Seek & Destroy
- (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth
- Whiplash
- Am I Evil?
- The Prince
- Blitzkrieg
- Metal Militia
Cliff Burton‘s final performance with Metallica took place on September 26, 1986, at Solnahallen in Stockholm, Sweden, during the Damage Inc. tour supporting Master of Puppets. After the show, the band began traveling overnight to their next scheduled concert at the Saga Theater in Copenhagen. Complaints about uncomfortable sleeping arrangements on the tour bus led to Burton and Kirk Hammett drawing cards or straws to decide who would get a preferred bunk. Burton ultimately took Hammett‘s bunk and went to sleep.
In the early morning hours of September 27, shortly before 7 a.m., the tour bus skidded off the road along European route E4, about 12 miles north of Ljungby, Sweden, and overturned. Because the bunks had no safety restraints, Burton was thrown through a window when the bus crashed, and the vehicle landed on top of him, killing him instantly at the age of 24.
The bus driver claimed the accident was caused by black ice, but this explanation was disputed. James Hetfield later said he found no ice on the road, and a local photographer and police confirmed that road conditions were dry and above freezing.
A detective suggested the crash marks were consistent with a driver falling asleep, though the driver testified he was well rested, a claim supported by another bus driver traveling with the crew. Ultimately, authorities ruled the driver not at fault, and no charges were filed.
Burton was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at the Maxwell Ranch, where Metallica played “Orion” in his honor. Soon after his death, Jason Newsted of Flotsam and Jetsam was chosen as Metallica‘s new bassist.
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