“We played a song or two, and I said, ‘Hey, you guys want to jam on some Isley Brothers?’ Nobody laughed”: Les Claypool looks back on his disastrous Metallica audition

Les Claypool may be lauded as one of the bass’ undisputed virtuosos and most influential innovators.

However, according to the man himself, this wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in Metallica when he auditioned back in late 1986, following the death of Cliff Burton.

“I didn’t know how popular they were,” Claypool admits in a new interview with The Guardian, explaining he totally misread the room.

“We played a song or two and I said, ‘Hey, you guys want to jam on some Isley Brothers?’ Nobody laughed.”

Claypool was high school classmates with Kirk Hammett but suggests a personality clash was the reason why he never ended up in Metallica. Later, in Behind the Music, James Hetfield diplomatically disagreed, stating: “He was too good.”

In a 2005 Bass Player interview, Claypool spoke more on the experience. “I can't really remember what songs we played, but I didn’t fit in, that was really obvious,” he said.

“I believe Lars said. ‘You're not really used to this kind of music, are you?’ My first response was, goddamn, this is loud!”

As for his response to Hetfield’s reasoning on Behind the Music, Claypool has since scoffed at the suggestion.

“No, it wasn't that – I just didn’t fit in,” he later told Kerrang! “I had a blonde Mohawk and baggy skater pants and two different coloured tennis shoes – and this was back when they had long hair long hair and tight pants.

“I told him he was full of it, and thought I was a freak! That was why he didn't want me! And he [Hetfield] just laughed, because it was true. I wouldn’t have fit. They’re not dumb.”

As it turns out, the rejection set the bassist onto his true path, as the classic Primus lineup of Claypool, Ler LaLonde on guitar and drummer Tim Alexander led to 1989’s Suck On This and 1990’s Frizzle Fry – and their success landed them a major label deal with Interscope in 1991.