Two of the best – Metallica in London

How does one of the most established, well-renowned and successful bands in the world, who have been around for over 40 years, reinvent themselves? Heavy metal supremos Metallica have wrestled with this quandary for many years. Their music has deviated from the thrash formula (something I will dive into more later) and they have undertaken a few specialist/gimmicky tours, including a By Request tour, in which fans could vote for the setlist at each show, and others where they toured albums on their anniversaries, playing the albums in full. The tour which Metallica have just completed fits into the latter of these. The M72 tour, in support of the band’s eleventh album 72 Seasons, featured No Repeat Weekends, which was two dates in one city, with completely different setlists on each night. And that is exactly what I sampled - Two nights of power, riffs and battle jacket at the London Stadium, as Metallica closed their mega tour.

I will begin with a general review of the pre-gig activities and the venue itself, before proceeding with reviews of the two shows. This could be a long one!

Pop-up shop

For big artists in our capitalist society, merchandise stalls at concert venues simply are not enough anymore. AC/DC, Oasis, Taylor Swift and others have jumped on this trend, enabling them to put on huge displays of merchandise for fans to pick from. Metallica’s travelling circus has also joined in, with a pop-up store opening in Shoreditch in days leading up to their two London shows.

I visited the pop-up store the day before the first show and thought it was great fun. Lots of merchandise to choose from, a nonstop Metallica playlist and opportunity to win prizes and experiences made it a worthwhile experience. Naturally, if you thought about the whole thing too deeply you would risk becoming incredibly cynical, as this was ultimately another cash grab, but I enjoyed my visit and came away with a Metallica-themed football shirt (I am a brainless consumer like so many of us).

The venue

The London Stadium is the home ground of now Championship football team, West Ham United who were recently relegated from the Premier League. A controversial stadium, many West Ham fans despise the arena due to it being a poor place to watch football, with the seats very far from the pitch, meaning the view is sub optimal. Further, as West Ham used to play at the iconic Boleyn Ground, many fans feel as though the soul of the club was ripped out with this move. I have not yet watched football at the stadium, but I can already sympathise with their feelings. The stadium is situated on former industrial land, so is not tucked in and amongst terraced houses, like its predecessor. This means the stadium is not surrounded by characterful pubs, particularly if one arrives in Stratford. We took the approach of heading to Hackney Wick pre-show, specifically to Hackney Bridge, a large, outdoor and indoor bar. It was a fantastic spot on the canal with plenty of sun and shade and surprisingly short queues at the bars. For anyone attending a gig at the London Stadium, I would highly recommend heading there beforehand.

Hackney Bridge

Onto the stadium itself. Whilst it may face criticism as a football ground, I have only had good experiences watching live music at the venue. I have seen Beyonce + Jay Z and Foo Fighters there and have been impressed on each occasion. The stadium has a large circumference, meaning the standing area on the pitch is enormous, so there was plenty of space to choose from. There are many bars lining the concourse, and the large toilets meant that queues moved quickly. The main drawback of the stadium was the beer options. Brewdog seemingly have a monopoly at the London Stadium – the only beers came from this ludicrous brewery. It was very disappointing, particularly with a pint being £8.90. However, one benefit was that there are self-purchase beer taps dotted around the pitch, meaning you did not need to leave the bowl to get a drink during the show.

The support

For night one, I did not bother with either support act, Knocked Loose and Gojira, as I am not a fan of either and prioritised cheaper beers at Hackney Bridge.

Southern heavyweights Pantera

On night two, we headed in to catch Pantera, who I have seen before (review here). They were good again, but definitely not as good as when I saw them in their own headline show. Zakk Wylde was in fine form – he prowls the stage like a silverback gorilla, but shreds away like ever. A highlight was a brief cover of Black Sabbath’s Fairies Wear Boots, which I did not expect but was a very pleasant surprise. I will provide more detail on the crowd in the next section, but the size of Pantera as a support act definitely pulled in more people than were in the area on night one – but more on that below.

The crowd

As one can imagine, the crowd at a Metallica show is predominantly middle aged, but this was a fairly diverse crowd in terms of ages. The vibe was good on both nights, but I did notice the tag of metal fans being the nicest people in the world did not always ring true. There were some very impatient and rude people in the crowd (very much in their minority), for instance refusing step aside for people leaving the pitch or walking straight into people who were stood in a spot. It was an odd mix of incredibly friendly and fun people, compared with impatient and grumpy individuals of whom you wonder why they even bothered attending the show. This is not to suggest the crowd was terrible by any means, but unfortunately sometimes individuals can stick in the brain.

The night two atmosphere was definitely poorer than night one. Pantera are a huge band to have as a support act, so they pulled more people into the stadium earlier on in the evening (including myself), which meant attendees had more time to drink in extreme heat. As a result, there were some incredibly drunk people around and there were a few flashpoints of aggression. It did not spoil the experience of watching Pantera, but the more tense atmosphere was noticeable.

Metallica

A history of Metallica is impossible to do briefly, but I will give it a go. Formed in San Francisco in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, Metallica were pioneers of the thrash metal scene. They incorporated the heavy music of their inspirations, including Diamond Head, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, but increased the tempo, aggression and power to help create a speedy, thrashy style of metal. Joined by Cliff Burrton and Kirk Hammett (after sacking original lead guitarist, Megadeth founder and all-round nutter Dave Mustaine), Metallica forged a road for themselves through extensive touring and face melting riffs. Burton was tragically killed when the band’s tour bus crashed in Sweden. The death had a profound effect on the band, but they continued and replaced him with bassist Jason Newsted.

Quiet before the storm

Following Newsted’s addition, Metallica changed musical direction in 1991 when they released their most successful album which propelled the band to the mainstream. Metallica, widely referred to as The Black Album, was a move away from thrash metal which angered large portions of the band’s fanbase. Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters were clear evidence of the band’s new, more radio friendly music. A return to thrash would not come for some time – and the anger in the fanbase at this alleged betrayal of their fans and roots has still not subsided for many.

Newsted ultimately ended up leaving the band under a cloud when he was banned from pursuing solo projects, which led to the band’s toughest period. Grappling with Hetfield’s addiction and recovery, Newsted’s exit, Lars Ulrich taking on file-sharing platform Napster and the production of their most controversial album to date (St. Anger) and its connected documentary, Metallica were at a crossroads. However, the hiring of bassist Rob Trujillo in 2003 breathed new life into the band. Ever since, studio releases have been few, but tours have been many. I had seen Metallica twice before, on an anniversary tour of the Black Album and then on the By Request tour. Both shows were utterly incredible, and I had not seen Metallica for 12 years until these two shows.

The M72 World Tour began in April 2023 and is the tenth highest grossing tour of all time and spanned five continents. It has had a beastly run and when it was announced it would be ending in London, I did not hesitate when buying tickets. I simply had to go. The album itself, 72 Seasons, was a solid effort, with two songs I regard as modern classics (Lux Aeterna and Inamorata). The album itself is by no means a classic, but it has its moments and is by no stretch of the imagination a poor effort.

As a headline review of the two shows, my conclusion is that I fucking love Metallica. And until the month leading up to the show, I think I had forgotten just how much I love Metallica. They have a joy to them which I don’t think other metal bands do. While the lyrics of many of their songs cover dark and thought-provoking topics (PTSD, drug abuse, alcoholism, abuse, loneliness, anger), I have always found Metallica to be elating to listen to. Maybe it’s the catchy choruses you don’t often get in the genre, but their music can lift me out of a bad mood pretty quickly. So as I was getting myself in the mood to see them and was re-listening to my lengthy Best of Metallica playlist on Spotify, I remembered just how much I love this band and excited I was to see them again.

Full flow

Night one

Beginning with the two staples of AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) and Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold playing over the PA system, the atmosphere in the stadium was palpable. As the band took to the round stage directly in front of us (they moved around the stage as the show went on), everyone went absolutely wild. Opening with Creeping Death, the ludicrously heavy account of the Book of Exodus’ tenth plague of Egypt, Metallica truly began the show as they meant to go on – hard, raw and with a huge singalong (the mega ‘DIE’ breakdown is just as iconic as any other in the Metallica discography). The set covered the majority of Metallica’s catalogue, with the only albums not represented being Load and St. Anger. The early inclusion of Of Wolf and Man was a wonderful surprise. An arguably silly anthem about a werewolf, the song features a breakdown in which Hetfield describes the sensation of turning into a werewolf. It’s funny, catchy as hell and a lot of fun.

As is now a staple of Metallica live shows, Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo took to the stage as a pair while Hetfield and Ulrich caught their breath. The approach is that the two of them, armed with only Hammett’s guitar, Trujillo’s bass and Trujillo’s voice, cover snippets of songs from the city they are playing in. This was originally poorly received by fans when it began in 2017, being seen as a cheap gimmick. However, it works practically, as it allows Hetfield to rest his voice, and also allows the opportunity for Rob and Kirk, who are the least outspoken members of the band (not hard with motormouth Ulrich around) a chance to represent themselves. On night one, we were treated to a version of Ian Drury’s Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and Guns of Brixton by the Clash. It took people a while to recognise Drury’s song, but when they did it was fun to bop along. Despite being a native Californian with Mexican and Native American heritage, Trujillo did a wonderful impression of Drury and Joe Strummer, absolutely nailing their cockney singing style.

Fade to Black, the band’s first power ballad, followed the doodle, and was just as powerful as the first time hearing. A dark, brooding look at mental health, it snapped everyone back into the zone. I was incredibly excited by the song which followed next, Cyanide, which is from 2008’s Death Magnetic. I view Death Magnetic as the most underrated Metallica album and until this show, had never seen a single song from it live.

The last six songs of the night was a spellbinding run, which reminded all of us how and why Metallica still sell out stadiums around the world, regardless of the quality of albums they put out. Nothing Else Matters, the emotional and uplifting ballad which has been covered by artists from Miley Cyrus to Dermot Kennedy, began the incredible run. My potentially all-time favourite, Sad but True followed. A slow, sludgy, heavy mass of a track, it smashes you in the face with its riff, strains your vocal cords as you scream the chorus and demands cringe-inducing air guitar for its two mega solos. It is a gargantuan bloat of a song in the best possible way and was the highlight of the show for me. Hardwired follows, which is one of the band’s best of the last ten years. Fuel, one of Hetfield’s favourites, is next up. With largescale pyrotechnics, the crowd were leaping around like mad things. During the penultimate song, Seek & Destroy, large beach balls were emptied onto the crowd who took great glee in not only knocking them around, but also popping them. Adults will never tire of reverting to childlike states. Closing night one with Master of Puppets, Hammet and Hetfield absolutely nailed the notoriously difficult breakdown and solo. It was a wonderful demonstration of their skill and virtuosity. The band have had their doubters as a live act over the last few years – this wonderful performance should have put any of those doubts to bed. As the show ended, my excitement turned to night two.

Night two

Kicking into gear with Whiplash, the band were instantly back into the groove with energy and aggression. The following three songs were possibly the highlights of the set – For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ride the Lightning and The Memory Remains. Bell is one of the ultimate Metallica live songs, with an incredible chorus which is impossible not to chant along to and the most foot stomping bassline of the band’s entire catalogue. Ride the Lightning is one I often skip for some reason, but upon hearing that Kirk Hammett solo live again for the first time in over a decade, I realised how foolish I had been. That solo is one of his very best and it has been burnt into my brain ever since. A quick word on Hammett. He is the second most derided member of Metallica in terms of musicianship (other than Ulrich), being seen as sloppy. On both nights, he could not have been further from this, nailing every solo. Sure, the band may cheat slightly due to their age (Ulrich definitely skipped a few fills in some of the faster numbers), but what would you rather – a band try and fail to be note perfect as on a record, or embrace their limitations and still put on an incredible show? It’s not even a contest. The Memory Remains followed. A song I have only got into in recent years, it was a fantastic singalong which everyone was well up for.

The curtain call

Kirk and Rob’s doodle included a Black Sabbath tribute in the form of Electric Funeral which was a little clunky, but was followed by a fantastic rendition of the Sex Pistols’ Holidays in the Sun. Again, the cockney accent was back and the pair of them nailed it.

The highlights from the remainder of the set were The Day That Never Comes (Death Magnetic supremacy once again), Whiskey in the Jar and Blackened. However, on my trudge back to Stratford train station, I was unfortunately left ruing what could have been from this setlist and, by extension, the two shows. For many of us Battery features high in our lists of top Metallica songs. A live staple for decades, it was nowhere to be seen on either night. As they closed with Enter Sandman, I was in shock there would be no Battery. The same goes for King Nothing, a track I have never heard live and was desperate to see. However, it was difficult to be negative for too long – the two nights were absolutely incredible. As the show finished, each band member took to the microphone to thank us for our support and to well wish. After a long M72 era, the tour was done and now the band will presumably head into a good rest.

James Hetfield

I must leave a quick word on Metallica’s frontman, James Hetfield. The great metal entertainer, ‘Papa Het’ is a true giant of a man in terms of physical stature when he has those big boots on, but his stage presence as a guitarist, vocalist and spokesman for the band and himself. Hetfield has always been a conundrum. He is an intensely, stereotypically masculine figure – covered in tattoos, a keen hunter and gun owner, and producer of aggressive heavy metal. However, he is an overtly sensitive soul, in both his interviews and lyrics. He has addressed his addiction issues head on in the public eye and spoken at length about the effect touring has had on his homelife and mental health. His lyrics have address childhood trauma, from his parents divorce to his mother’s death from cancer after refusing treatment due to her Christian Science beliefs.

Suicide has often been a topic Hetfield has faced head on. A speech of him discussing suicide went semi-viral around four years ago, in which he bemoaned social media companies banning the word and emphasising the importance of having an open dialogue. I noticed when he was saying his farewells at the end of night two, he said ‘be kind to yourselves, because we want to come back.’ I thought this was an interesting nod to the importance of selflove, forgiveness and maintaining a healthy mental state. Despite the brooding, masculine exterior, he is a champion of empathy.

His performance over the two nights was astonishing. He was charismatic between songs, hitting us with his usual shtick about the Metallica ‘family’ which we all lapped up with gratitude. He also had a funny tick of saying when he loved a song a particular amount – I love it when artists explain which of their songs they like the most, it’s great seeing them take genuine pride in the work they have done. His vocals are incredible despite his age and years of high-octane performance. His guitar work is as sharp as ever. His stage presence is so commanding but never intimidating. He is like a heavy metal conductor over an orchestra of the band and us, the audience, as we sing and air guitar along. He is one of the greats and should always be remembered as such.

The future

 With the end of this tour, it is unclear what is next for Metallica. There has been no indication of more music, but I would be surprised if they have not considered their next move in depth. These old war dogs will likely fight on until their bodies simply do not allow them to anymore. The Metallica train never stops rolling and I will be sure to be there when it next comes into town.