“That Metallica moment is the one that is the most standout.”

Red Fang’s Aaron Beam joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday (March 18) to commemorate the band’s remarkable 20th anniversary. Reflecting on the most unforgettable highlights of Red Fang’s two-decade journey, he was quick to emphasize that being personally selected to perform at Metallica’s Orion Music + More Festival in 2012 stands out as an extraordinary achievement. This festival not only showcased their talent but also placed them on a platform that many aspiring musicians dream of.

Listen to the complete conversation in the player located near the end of this article.

“It was so early on [in our career],” Beam shared with host Chuck Armstrong, reflecting on the surreal nature of that moment.

“We all thought there was no chance that anybody in the actual band had ever heard of us,” he added, highlighting the disbelief they felt at being recognized by such a legendary group.

As he reminisced about the Orion festival, Beam shared how they discovered that Metallica indeed knew of their existence—an exciting revelation that came just moments before they were set to take the stage.

“Shortly before we’re supposed to go on, our tour manager came over and gathered us all up and he was kind of shaken,” he remembered vividly.

“He was like, everybody’s got to meet behind the stage at this time because James [Hetfield] is coming over to say hi to you guys. I was like, there’s no way, you know, but that was the thing we’d all said ahead of time. The only way I’m going to believe that they actually handpicked us is if somebody comes over and says hi and introduces themselves, which is exactly what happened,” Beam recounted, his excitement evident.

Beam described that surreal moment as unforgettable, laughing as he recalled another memorable encounter with Hetfield.

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“We heard afterward that he was actually standing side stage and watched us for the first couple of songs,” Beam said, reflecting on the pressure they felt during that performance.

“We had basically not slept at all the night before. We had a super long drive and stayed in a really sketchy hotel outside of Atlantic City, so nobody could sleep. And so the first two songs, I was actually in the wrong key, I was tuned to drop D instead of E and I realized that partway through the song and then managed to only get up to E flat. The whole song I was playing half a set off and I basically realized that my career was over at that point,” he shared, illustrating the intense stress and excitement of that pivotal moment.

Key Insights from Aaron Beam’s Interview on Loudwire Nights

• Reflecting on the significance of their 20-year journey, Beam expressed: “I feel like that’s just part of the gratitude for having experienced what I have, to be grateful for all of the experiences that I’ve had and not just ignore it and just move forward.” This perspective reveals the depth of appreciation he holds for the band’s accomplishments.
• Discussing the reasons behind Red Fang’s enduring success, he stated: “The actual longevity, I think you have to attribute it to the support that we have gotten from the music listening community. All of the excitement of growing as a band and doing stuff that none of us had done, having played music for 10 or 15 years and essentially going nowhere to being in this band that for the first time ever, seems to be something people want to hear was a pretty big thrill.” This highlights the importance of community support in their musical journey.
• When asked about the future of Red Fang, he remarked: “We’re still in that sort of hibernation mode that led to part of why we’re putting out [Deep Cuts]. We’re going to probably meet up again at the end of the summer and just hash out what everybody’s feeling,” indicating ongoing creativity and planning for new endeavors.

Catch the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below for More Insights

Aaron Beam joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, March 18; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also check local radio stations for availability and listen to interviews on-demand.