Original Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell picked an interesting time to pick a fight with Metallica. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that his memoir, Remembering — the Autobiography Before During and After Thin Lizzy, was just released, or perhaps he's using this story to push some books.
Regardless, The Irish Sun passes along a story from Bell about when he was invited to play the big Thin Lizzy hit "Whiskey In The Jar" with Metallica and their Dublin show in July of 1999. Bell had played on the original in 1973, and the band offered to fly him out on their private jet from the UK to Dublin. Bell claims he had never heard the Metallica cover, nor even knew what they looked like, but still agreed to do it.
Here's where the story gets curious. Bell says he “expected to make IR£2,000, although there was no agreement on the fee.” Instead, he said Metallica just hocked a bunch of merch to him.
“It was about half three in the morning. The transport was all lined up, and there was a car to take me home.
“I was quietly expecting about two grand, which wouldn’t have meant a thing to them.
“But I got handed over a big ball of Metallica t-shirts, key rings and hats. I got paid fuck all. Then they all fucked off.
“It wasn’t until I was sitting in my car on the way home I realised they hadn’t paid me. I thought I’d get something in the post but not a dickie bird.
“Later somebody tried to get in touch with Metallica to get me something but they found it impossible and they gave up.
“They are a pack of bastards. I couldn’t believe what they did, especially as they are so well off. I should have been paid £2,000 but got fuck all”
“It’s pure ignorance really. I should have been paid £2,000 at least but I got fuck all from them.”
It feels like if Bell had said something beforehand about wanting a payment, Metallica would probably be a-okay with it. Instead, he's upset that they didn't match a figure he had in his head that he never told them about?
You can read the full story of the encounter over at The Irish Sun.
