Metallica

After 28 years together as a band rock gods Metallica, decided to finally play in Nottingham, it was clear that this wouldn’t be a question of whether this would be great or rubbish, more a question of how great this show would be.



Yes I could write down every superlative a million times over and that still would not portray just how good this show was. It has been well documented that the band have had a dip in album sales in the past few years as well as personal troubles, which in turn caused Metallica to be critically whiplashed by the critics. (pun intended!)

Anyway that was all in the past and the last year or so has seen Metallica regain their crowns as kings of rock once again. The release of 'Death Magnetic' demonstrated that they still have the passion and talent to write and record incredibly heavy tracks, which still have the ability to impress.



After reaching number one and making an appearance at Leeds festival last year, oh and a fan club show at O2 Arena, they could be forgiven for resting and enjoying their hard earned money. But no, that’s just not the Metallica way, instead they like to be out enjoying their fans and making them aware that the band is alive and kicking and keeping the spirit of rock music alive.

The Nottingham show kicked off their UK tour, and they have definitely still got that hunger and passion to play to the best of their ability, the fact that they had a special room to jam in for an hour or so before the show proves the point that they are focused and dedicated to giving the fans a show to be remembered.



The four horsemen otherwise known as Lars, James, Kirk and newest member Rob, pounced towards the stage like caged tigers just been released from captivity whilst their intro music 'Ecstasy of Gold' was reverberating throughout the arena.

The stage was set in the round given everyone an opportunity to catch a glimpse of their rock icons. James Hetfield (vocalist) and Kirk Hammett (guitarist), Rob Trujillo (bass), and Lars Ulrich (drummer) made good use of the stage set up ensuring that each member of the band visited each microphone on more than one occasion. Except for Lars who was banging out those volcanic beats from the centre of the stage, as always his timing was exceptional, and was a pleasure to watch.

Metallica opened with 'That Was Just Your Life', taken from their No.1 album 'Death Magnetic'. This was played whilst only their silhouettes were visible as a breathtaking laser display was stimulating the visual senses. Once again Metallica had demonstrated that they are always looking for ways to raise the benchmark for live shows and are willing to take a risk with different ideas. Thankfully the laser display worked, and added to the immensity of this gig.

With such a vast back catalogue I would imagine it is difficult for Metallica to decide what to leave out or include in the setlist, however they had created a well-balanced setlist with songs spanning throughout their career with early songs such as 'The Four Horsemen' and 'Fire With Fire'.



After this show no one can call Metallica predictable, they performed their biggest hits during the normal set instead of keeping them for the encore, which in the past would usually be 'One' and 'Enter Sandman'. However this time around their encore included 'Seek And Destroy' and cover versions of 'Breadfan' and 'Helpless'. Metallica also treated the Nottingham audience with a world premiere of 'The Judas Kiss' which was well received by the crowd.

Metallica once again surpassed all expectations when it comes to playing live. When Metallica are on top of their game they are unstoppable, and after this performance it would be fair to say that their forthcoming appearance at Knebworth's Sonisphere festival in August will be the highlight of the festival season.

Fingers crossed it wont be another 28 years before returning to Nottingham!

Setlist:
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
The Four Horsemen
Leper Messiah
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
The Judas Kiss
Sad But True
No Leaf Clover
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Fight Fire With Fire
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman

Encore:
Breadfan (Budgie cover)
Helpless (Diamond Head cover)
Seek & Destroy

FUTURE GIGS

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