On the Roam (2024) s02e06 Episode Script

- Ibrahim
X : @sle1i
Today is the
I was looking at Metallica and today is the
35th anniversary of 'One'.
Didn't you know that?
- No, I didn't know that.
But you're Metallica.
On Instagram they said 35 years ago.
Back then I was nine years old
and it came out
and it changed everyone's life,
and especially my life.
Can we talk about
the Vs and the Explorer?
Absolutely, man. For sure.
If you want, we'll do something in Hawaii.
- Absolutely, man.
Thank you very much, Kirk.
- Okay, Jason.
Okay. All the best. Aloha. Bye.
- Aloha, bye.
Love you. Okay, aloha.
What's going on now?
Oh, my God.
That's On the Roam.
I
That's what it's all about.
The Gibson Flying V and the Explorer.
That shape has been etched in my memory
since I was a kid.
If you ask 100 kids
to point out the coolest guitar
95 out of 100 kids will point
to the Flying V.
Heavy metal bands love the shape.
It's fast, scary, and pointy.
Flying Vs are the ultimate
rock-heavy metal machines.
How they feel and look,
those are the shapes.
That's what every metal guitar looks like,
a V or an Explorer.
These are Gibson's unicorns.
- These are the rarest guitars.
They are so rare
because they shocked the industry
and initially there was little demand for them.
It was a commercial flop.
They were hard to sell when new.
In 1958 we only shipped
81 Flying Vs.
That was a huge success
compared to the Explorer.
We only made 19 of them.
If you fast forward 20 years,
for example in 1978
hard rock was at the top of the charts
and heavy metal started getting popular.
And suddenly those guitars became very popular.
They are now the rarest
and most sought-after collectibles.
The most expensive guitars in the world.
The smell of a good guitar.
- I know.
Season 2, bigger and better.
I wanted to top season one.
What is bigger and better?
It doesn't get rarer than
the Flying V and the Explorer.
I think they're awesome and I wanted
to talk about them and meet the bands.
O'AHU, HAWAII
Hi, how did you get in?
Okay. How are you? I'm Jason.
- Good.
Who introduced me to Metallica?
That was my babysitter's cousin.
We were at his house.
I think his name was Kris.
We walked into his room and it was like:
To this day, that is still
the coolest room in the world.
As a kid, you have people
that you look up to.
He was a skater, a rock 'n' roller.
There were posters everywhere.
Then I saw Master of Puppets
for the first time.
And it was just
perfect.
I will always remain a musician.
For me, music just keeps getting better.
Playing guitar is a way of life.
I slaved away at Burger King.
I fried fries for half a year
to be able to buy one.
I was so happy when I got it.
I really was so happy.
When I got it, I thought: Man.
I had to get used to the shape.
With your first Flying V you think:
this has a strange shape.
I was used to the rounded bottom,
but after a while I loved everything about it.
This is a very special guitar.
This episode is all about
the V and the Explorer.
To me, you guys represent
the V and the Explorer.
That was my youth,
because I had never seen anything like it.
That's what many people look up to
and what metal is.
It's so crazy to know
that this wild idea originated in '58.
Nobody wanted them, they couldn't give them away.
Now it is the iconic shape of metal.
When they made them in the 50s,
that didn't even exist yet.
That music didn't even exist.
Gibson was way ahead of its time.
This design was way ahead of its time.
Because 10, 15 years later you saw
how good they were for that kind of music.
It is so bizarre that it is now
the most sought-after and rarest one.
But at the same time,
that is my Metallica.
Whether it's the old stuff,
the 80s, the 90s
that V and the Explorer, that's you guys.
I have a few more rare ones.
Shall I get them? In the back.
No, don't bother.
Yeah, man. We're going to set them free.
I'll be right back.
I befriended Kirk Hammett.
He is extremely cool.
We talk about everything,
also with his family.
And suddenly he came up with
the rarest this, the rarest that.
It was insane.
Dude.
- This is
Is this the prototype?
- It's number 2 or 3.
That's number 2.
- I can't say it's number 1.
I can't confirm that.
- It's '57.
The prototype.
There are two V prototypes.
There is a little diamond
in the cross of the V
which they didn't do
on the other Vs.
No other one
has this sexy thing right here.
What is that?
- It's an inlay and it's not on the others.
That is so cool.
I've never seen this before.
I don't understand why they don't all have that.
You hold on to the first baby.
He just keeps it at home.
How I look at guitars is just
how good they are at translating
what's here and here
through the pickups, through the amp, out into the world.
Aren't guitars great?
- Absolutely.
Music, man. Music is universal magic.
- It's fucking magic.
Magic, baby. Hey.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK
Well, Well Strung Guitars
is one of the best
guitar shops in our country
with the rarest stuff.
This is a good week.
I've never been here before.
We're here. Well Strung, baby.
The best part is
hearing some history.
Passing that on and understanding
how important these guitars are.
You're really big, huh?
- In person you're much taller.
That's Paige.
- Nice to meet you.
Come on. You have to see everything.
- I need to pay my respects first.
Sorry, guys.
Oh, my god. Dude.
Sorry, this is insane.
Everything at Well Strung is like a church.
You're impressed.
He has everything in every color.
I've never seen this guitar before.
This is something from my youth.
The V and the Explorer. That's Metallica.
Is this a '58, '59,
or did it come out later?
Yeah, this came out in '63,
but the serial number is from '58.
That's how they did it.
This is my only Explorer.
They don't grow on trees.
I know, but seeing you smile like that
Okay, cool.
They made about 18 guitars
and they were a commercial flop.
This one and the Flying V,
they were hard to sell.
They were called futuristic guitars.
There were a few models,
including this one.
That's one of the fun things
about this show.
You meet collectors, luthiers,
all kinds of people who make them.
And then you sit with your friends
and musicians
and enjoy
these beautiful instruments.
These are more expensive than the Vs.
- That's right.
Because there are only 19 of them. Wow.
The hardest part of this episode
was getting two guitars
that we could bring to Gibson
to replicate about ten of them
to sell and also auction off a few.
Let's talk about Big Ed.
Cesar is a good friend of mine.
We built a lot last season.
We rebuilt Slash's and Billy Gibbons' guitars.
He had just bought Big Ed.
Tell us a little about it.
This is an Explorer,
but he bought it from you.
It's one of the most expensive guitars
in the world.
Yeah. There was a blues band in Cincinnati,
the Big Ed Thompson Band.
Big Ed was, of course,
Ed Thompson's guitar.
I bought the guitar
but didn't know the story behind it.
We only found that out later.
'BIG ED'
1958 GIBSON EXPLORER
The guitar is named Big Ed, after
the first owner, Big Ed Thompson.
He was a blues guitarist
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He bought the guitar new in 1958.
And he used it
throughout his entire career.
Ed had a brother, Ople.
Ople also played guitar
and bought the Flying V in 1958.
They had good taste.
Those two guitars
were discovered by Rick Vito.
He was the new guitarist
of Fleetwood Mac.
Rick went to the club.
As a guitar nerd and collector,
he saw Ed on stage with that guitar.
He found the original family
and bought both guitars.
For Rick Vito to walk into a tiny bar
in Cincinnati
on a Wednesday night
and walk out with a Korina set
from the original owner.
It hardly gets any better than that.
I'm excited
because we're going to Gibson.
We're going to see Big Ed.
- Yes.
I love guitars.
Everyone should own a guitar.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Hi.
- How's it going?
How are you? Welcome back.
- Wow.
GIBSON VAUL
Do you know what that is?
That's something special.
- Good grief.
Wow.
Pictures don't do it justice, do they?
This isn't just any Korina Explorer.
This is the Korina Explorer. This is it.
When you see it, you fall in love
with your eyes, but when you plug it in
you won't believe your ears.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. That's it.
- That's Big Ed.
That's a big boy. Look at that.
It's more than a guitar.
Someone's entire music career is
in this guitar and you can see it in everything.
Look, some people
like them to look pristine and pretty.
It's wabi-sabi.
How do you describe beauty?
Is it in full bloom?
Is it perfect when it's green?
Is it autumn? Is it the dead of winter?
Is it blooming spring? What is beauty?
I like seeing the mojo.
The neck literally has
Big Ed's thumbprint on it.
That feeling.
Put your thumb on the third fret.
- Oh, my God.
There's a dent in the wood.
- Good grief.
See?
- Look at that. There's actually a dent in it.
'59 Les Pauls or Sunburst Les Pauls
from the late 50s are the holy grail.
There are 1600 of those.
There are 19 of these.
Even if you had the money, if you
walked around with two million in a bag
you can't buy one,
because they're not for sale.
Oh, man, this is so beautiful.
We couldn't get his brother's V,
but we did find the Landfill.
The Landfill V
has a lot of the same characteristics.
It's very similar.
- Indeed.
They're like sisters.
But when you see those stains,
that's actually sweat and dirt.
Big Ed has that too.
There's a lot of history and the necks
of both guitars are similar.
You can clearly see that this line
has dirt and stains in it.
It's not broken.
It's just been touched a lot.
Very cool.
The Landfill and Big Ed
had almost the same
As if they were played at the same time.
They were worn out and full of sweat.
We said: Let's build these,
because they're like twins.
That was our decision. So Landfill,
Big Ed, those are the guys.
Kris?
This is insane.
- It's my pleasure.
Show me. Take me there.
- Okay.
The toughest guitar and one of the prettiest
Vs I've ever seen
was Kris Blakely's Landfill.
Good grief.
I rarely sell a guitar.
These are my babies.
Oh, my God.
It's so light.
- Yeah.
It's so light. Good grief.
We aren't just collectors.
We are preservationists.
We want to honor these guitars
for what they are.
When you see these pictures, you think:
Wow, that's just impossible.
They don't do it justice.
Four years ago I put this part
in my mouth for fun.
I can still taste it.
I don't know what it is. No idea.
This is the pinnacle of
what I've collected in 30 years.
When you approached me
I enjoyed talking to you
and listening to you.
But you said: I'm going to buy the Landfill V. And then I stopped listening.
I tuned out. I thought: Huh?
So everything you said from that moment on
is a bit of a blur.
It still hurts.
It was like losing a child.
You already get a knot in your stomach
just thinking about it.
But I also realized
that it was for a higher purpose.
These are the unicorns.
- Yeah.
One of the prettiest Explorers ever.
These are without a doubt
two of the best Explorers and Vs ever.
Agreed.
- Yeah.
Scan them, do what you guys do,
but the idea that you're going to build these
these two unicorns
- That's a big deal.
It's huge.
- That's a big deal.
It's an insane idea.
I can't think of anything cooler to
Can you start?
- Right now?
Tom Murphy is putting so much time and energy
into Big Ed
the most worn-out guitar
I've ever seen
and the same goes for Landfill.
He worked so hard on it
and now he's selling it.
You have to bring money for Gibson Gives.
We really want to give the money
to people in need.
All those hours, the love, the passion,
wherever it's been.
We can really do something great
and show it to the world.
I'm someone
who should be able
to treat it in a way
that it looks truly old.
That will be the ultimate test.
Did you hear
that Cesar wants to do Big Ed?
Yes, and when I heard that,
I got scared.
But it's a fun challenge
for us in the lab
because these guitars
are historically so important
and also very rare.
Look at that paint, man.
- No, that's sweat.
I know, but it's crazy how it
It's awesome.
You can just smell them.
You can really smell them.
A little bit. Smell Big Ed.
As if he smoked.
A nasty crotch.
Truly unbelievable.
I need to make this look like this.
You make this one look like that
and you make that one look like this. Look, like that.
We need to figure out
where we're going to get all that sweat.
Awesome. That's it. Gorgeous.
Artist, there's your brush.
A rusty nail.
I have goosebumps, man.
Really awesome, man.
Damn. Look at that now.
How do you guys take your coffee?
- Black and metal.
Black?
- For sure. Heavy, hard, black.
Turkey bacon?
- Yeah, so good.
I like to bake it in the oven like that.
It's just great.
I don't have to keep flipping it.
Here is your rocket fuel.
Thank you, sir.
- You're welcome.
I called Kirk and I never thought
he would be awake.
He said: Come on over.
I get up at 5:30 AM.
I'll make eggs with turkey bacon for you.
We'll do something.
I said: Why do you get up at 5:30 AM?
He said: I've been a nocturnal vampire
my whole life.
I want to see the waves.
I just want to surf.
When I discovered surfing,
I discovered that getting up early
and catching some waves in the morning
was the best way.
Over the past ten years
I've focused on simplifying my life.
I focus on things
that are important to me.
A lot of people don't know this, but
I'll tell you, because you probably don't want to be there.
In July, in Birmingham.
Do you know anything about that?
Is it Ozzy? No.
Is Black Sabbath coming back?
The final show. The very last show.
With the original band members.
- Exactly.
And we're opening.
It's going to be a special show.
It means a lot to me
because it's Sabbath.
They wrote the book.
They literally wrote the book
for what we do.
And for me, this is the last time
I can say thank you.
Show my gratitude.
I'd do anything, that's God.
Yeah, whatever you need.
Whatever those guys and Sharon
need.
They've done so much
for what we do and what we love.
Just like that first album,
Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath.
And the bell rings and it rains,
then you're there.
When I first heard Sabbath,
it scared me.
We were camping with a bonfire
in the dark in the woods and stuff.
When I heard Sabbath,
I got a little scared.
It was just like Blair Witch.
Really, seriously.
Want more? I can make more.
- Oh, my God. Really good.
That was perfect.
PARIS, FRANCE
On the Roam. We're at Louis Vuitton.
- My god. Welcome.
I've had a strange fascination
my whole life.
I've collected suitcases my whole life.
I don't know what it is.
I love backpacks and suitcases.
I'm going to freak out inside.
Yeah. I think so too. Brace yourself.
I've never seen
an Explorer case.
The idea of making something for those
masterpieces of music and art
and seeing the masters at work
at Louis Vuitton was an honor.
Wow. Look at that.
Very nice. Wow.
Okay. May I?
Does someone else have to open it?
- No.
Louis always made things to protect
the stuff you love.
And they do it with class.
They make beautiful works of art.
This is so beautiful.
Wow, this is On the Roam.
That is so beautiful. Look at that.
The cases with those guitars
were very special. They look like
They are made of orange leather
and are very rare.
They didn't have the cases,
because those didn't survive.
I thought it was a great idea
to make the best cases in the world.
They will slowly wear down.
Hopefully they'll turn orange.
They're going to absorb all that sweat
and get worn out on tour.
That was the idea. We wanted to make something
that was very sleek
so it gets that soul
of the tour.
The guitars also inspired a whole
style of music my mother disapproved of.
What do you think, Mom?
- Awesome.
Metallica played on this, Mom.
What?
- Metallica.
Keep me out of your movies.
I remember seeing a picture
It's so crazy with advertising that
certain images always stay with you
but there's a picture of Keith Richards
in a cool Louis Vuitton ad.
He's sitting on a bed with his skull scarves
and a Louis Vuitton suitcase.
I thought: Geez, a Louis Vuitton
guitar case. Really awesome.
Unbelievable. Beautiful, right?
Bravo, everyone.
Hey, man. How's it going?
- How's it going, man?
Everything good?
What a bummer you're sick.
Hey, man. How are you?
Yeah, it sucks, man. I get
sick very often. I don't know what it is.
You played in the
- Playing a show in the rain is enough.
You played in the rain yesterday.
- Damn it. Whatever.
The guitars are here.
We're going to make the prototype.
Let's do it.
- Oh yeah, you saw it at my house.
Yeah, man. Really awesome.
Hopefully we'll make 50 or more.
But to be able to make that prototype
for everyone who loves it
superfans and nerds like me,
and to be able to show them
I never would've seen or heard of them
without Kirk.
So for him to want to share that with the world
is wonderful. And for Gibson to make it.
We're working with craftsmen.
Do you know why I really
think it's so awesome?
Because then I'll have replicas for the tour.
Then I won't have to worry.
I'll make sure we have replicas
for the Sabbath show in Birmingham
so we have them there.
Then you guys can see
if you want to use them
but at least we'll have them
for the show.
That's going to be great.
The next time we see you,
it'll be with Sabbath.
Yeah, that's going to be really special.
I'll see you on the day of Sabbath.
Okay, babe. I love you.
- I love you guys. Best.
Get plenty of rest. Aloha.
- Aloha. See you.
He's so cool.
Okay.
- I'll put it on this side.
Ready? Back to the Beginning.
We just got here
and are going to try something special.
It took a while,
but we did it. This is it.
It's been a long journey
for these guys.
BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
Nuno vocal.
Here we are.
I never thought I'd be invited
to Back to the Beginning.
When the news came out, I saw it
on Instagram and called Kirk.
I said: Can you get me a ticket?
A few days later, Ross Halfin called.
He said Sharon Osbourne
wanted me to host.
I said: What are you talking about?
I've never done that before.
BACK TO THE BEGINNING REHEARSALS
Thank you so much. Good grief.
SUPERGROUP INTRO: JASON MOMOA
(HYPING UP THE CROWD)
To top it off, more bands join every week.
They keep coming.
At that point, it's everyone
I love.
It's like my whole childhood coming together and I
have to host it. That's terrifying.
Birmingham. Hey, Steven.
- Hey, Jason.
The screaming devil.
I've never seen so many of the best
bands in the world gathered together
to support our hero.
Applause for the history
of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.
The history
of great musicians.
Oh, my god. Thank you so much.
Hi, beauty.
Mom, you look like a peanut next to Jason.
Okay, come here, you two.
- Come here. Ready?
We're making this, we're making the V
and the Explorer, all at once.
We brought everything there so
we could show them on stage.
To be part of it all,
to honor Sabbath.
To honor Ozzy. Ozzy.
I'm so grateful.
- Thanks, man.
You look great.
- Okay.
The holy grails.
- Damn.
I have a surprise.
- Look at that.
I had a delicious breakfast at your house
in Hawaii. You're a good cook.
Thank you. That was during the egg shortage.
- The egg shortage.
We wanted to call,
but you were on a plane.
But when he called you,
we finally succeeded.
Here we go.
1957 Case.
- Oh, my God.
My god. How awesome.
Yeah, man. This is insane.
How many do you want to make
and send out into the world?
At least 50.
- At least.
At least 50, so we're going to make these and
it would be cool to auction one off.
Definitely.
- Scratch something into it.
Then we'll auction it off
for All Within My Hands.
Let's do it. Does anyone have a stiletto?
Does anyone have a knife?
- Does anyone have a pocket knife?
A screwdriver?
- Does anyone have an awl? An ice pick?
We need to make so many things
to auction for Gibson Gives.
It fits with everything we love to do.
They want to do cool things,
and so do we. And we want to help too.
Whoever buys that
will have a '57 prototype.
That was at Back to the Beginning
and signed by Kirk. Very cool.
I think so.
This episode is
sort of a fusion of everything.
The craziest, wildest ideas
I've had in season two.
I hope you like it.
And to top it off,
Back to the Beginning, as host.
Being there with all those bands.
I feel like a little kid.
Unbelievable that I got to do this
and that we got to record it.
A dream come true. Thanks
for watching. I love you guys. Bye.
I did it.
Welcome back to the beginning.
The very last show
for Ozzy Osbourne
and the final show
for Birmingham's own Black Sabbath.
I have to be honest.
When this concert was announced
I knew it would be the best night of music
ever.
I went nuts.
I called everyone I knew.
I called Kirk, Phil, and Ian.
I said: I have to be there and my
kids too. Can anyone help me?
Because I'm more than a fan.
I'm obsessed with Sabbath
and the bands that are here today.
Metal is in our DNA.
Every character I ever played
was inspired by this music
and built by this music.
It's in everything I am.
So when the Osbournes asked me
to host, I was terrified.
I've never done this before.
I belong out there with you guys, in the audience.
But if I get an exclusive ticket
to be the luckiest guy
I say: Ozzy, excuse my British,
but let's fucking go.
We're going to tear the house down.
Are you ready?
I can't hear you.
Are you ready?
Hands in the air.
Nothing in my life
comes close to hosting.
I was terrified. It was awesome. I was
jealous of the crowd. I jumped right in.
I got to be with everyone and honor the man
I love with all my heart.
That's what Sabbath gave us.
Come on.
Let me see your hands.
We were sitting in the stands
watching Ozzy.
When Sabbath came on,
we went up front.
I said: Let's walk up front.
Nobody stopped us.
We walked right through and it was like:
Hey, Jason. And I was like: Thanks, guys.
Show your hands.
All my hooligan friends,
my kids, my girl, said:
Yeah, you gotta stay here.
I stood there trying to film everything
as best as I could.
I was so pumped. I stood
closer to Ozzy than anyone else.
Even Geezer
wasn't standing that close to him.
Nobody in the world is closer
to Ozzy and Black Sabbath than me.
What do we have here?
An amazing moment. It's in the
top 5 best moments of my life.
Two kids being born
and seeing Ozzy. Black Sabbath,
final show. Just insane.
Sabbath's last song
ever. Bizarre.
It was perfect.
And to the Prince of Darkness I say:
I love you. Aloha.
Thank you for everything you've done
and everything you've given us.
This is it, man. Fuck everything.
The birth of metal, Birmingham.
The last time we see Sabbath.
My baby is here.
My favorite bands and my friends.
Nobody stood closer than me.
This is heaven.
The most expensive stunt ever.
by : ibrahim