Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, father of the world’s next superstar bassist?

SINGAPORE — Metallica’s Robert Trujillo may be in one of the world’s best known and most commercially successful bands, but the bassist may be prouder of his son, Tye, than of his own achievements.

Speaking at an interview with TODAY before Metallica’s WorldWired concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Sunday evening (Jan 22), Trujillo visibly brightened at the mention of his son, who started picking up the guitar when he was about six or seven years old.

Tye, who is now 12, plays the bass guitar for a band called The Helmets and sports long hair just like his father, even though Trujillo says his son reminds him more of Cliff Burton — the legendary and original bass player from Metallica who was killed at the age of 24 in a bus crash while on tour in 1986.

“He’s great. He has his own ideas, and if I help him through a song it’s usually with arranging,” said the 52-year-old, who has been playing bass for Metallica for 14 years. “It’s a beautiful thing to see him confident in what he does...and when he has an exciting idea. It makes me happy. I am always there to advise him, but it’s perfect because the strength of the songs he writes are the strength of his ideas.”

Pointing out that he is proud of this development, he continued: “I think it’s great because our youth need to embrace rock music and metal music and play real instruments for the future. They are the future of what’s happening tonight (at our concert). These kids that are out there playing and working on their chops, they are the future of what we are doing.”

While his son is still feeling his way around the world of music, Trujillo says he himself derives satisfaction from being challenged with new songs. Metallica, which comprises vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and Trujillo, only recently released their first studio album in eight years, Hardwired...To Self-Destruct, and the bassist says he is excited to perform them in front of audiences around the world.

“Metallica songs can be challenging and kind of wild. Once you find the groove you have the comfort zone and that is when you can really rock out,” he said. “You have that energy that fits into place, and that is why I say it is a good time right now because everything is fresh for us, and we are actually experiencing it on stage and fans can be a part of it.

“It never gets boring, but if it ever turns into like, okay, we are playing this song for the 1000th time...a good song is a good song, but it’s nice when you are excited about the challenge.”

As for Tye, besides picking up tips on how to be a rock star, there is also much for him to learn from his father, such as when it comes to managing his long mane.

The life of a rocker inevitably means many nights of sweat-filled gigs, so does Trujillo spend hours washing and drying his tresses, we asked.

“It’s a process, you’ve got to sacrifice a lot for long hair. He doesn’t comb his hair, but I comb mine. (It all comes down to) hair maintenance. But what can you do,” Trujillo sighed.