Synopsis

Metallica tear through "Whiplash" in an early club performance filmed at The Stone in San Francisco on March 19, 1983. The rough, close-range footage captures the band in its formative era, with Cliff Burton on bass and Dave Mustaine on lead guitar. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich drive the performance with a frantic, headbanging intensity, while the small venue and unpolished camera work emphasize the raw physicality of the band's early thrash sound.

Factoids & Trivia

• The footage comes from March 19, 1983, at The Stone in San Francisco, where Cliff Burton was playing only his second show with Metallica.

• Dave Mustaine performs lead guitar in this version. He was dismissed from Metallica shortly afterward and was replaced by Kirk Hammett.

• The performance was included in *Cliff 'Em All*, Metallica's 1987 home video tribute to Burton. The compilation combined concert footage, fan-shot material, television appearances, photographs, interviews, and bass solos from Burton's years in the band.

• "Whiplash" was Metallica's first single and appeared on the band's debut album, *Kill 'Em All*, released in 1983.

• The song was recorded at Music America Studios in Rochester, New York, during the sessions for *Kill 'Em All*.

• Motorhead later recorded "Whiplash" for the 1987 tribute album *Metallic Assault: Metallica - The Ultimate Tribute*. That version earned Metallica its first Grammy Award when it won Best Metal Performance in 1990.