Watch Robert Trujillo and Les Claypool in Spoof Western Video
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Primus frontman Les Claypool appear together in a new spoof Western video that's actually a commercial for EMG Pickups, which both musicians endorse.
Titled Precious Metals, the clip opens with Claypool exploring a desert with a metal detector, only to be shot at by Trujillo after finding “gold.” Instead of a fatal standoff, the pair celebrates the fact that they both possess valuable commodities. They’re then seen taking turns soloing in a funk-bass jam.
The five-minute video, written and codirected by Claypool, can be seen below.
“Presented by EMG Pickups, this Northern California Gold Rush story has a surprise twist you didn't see coming,” the video explanation reads. “Thrills, chills, suspense and a groove that won't quit.”
Trujillo joined Metallica in 2003 after the departure of Jason Newsted; Claypool had auditioned for the same position before Newsted was hired following the death of Cliff Burton in 1986.
“I didn’t fit the bill at all,” Claypool admitted in 2015. "I showed up with this bass that was a hunk of driftwood, I had two different-colored tennis shoes on, bleach-blond mohawk, baggies, skater pants – I didn’t fit the bill, especially for Metallica back then. ... [Drummer] Lars [Ulrich] was probably the most enthused about the audition. They were all still pretty messed up about the Cliff Burton thing. But James [Hetfield], you could just tell, was like, ‘Who the hell is this fucking weirdo?’”
Still, Claypool said it was a “fun” experience and that he “enjoyed playing through Cliff’s rig.”