METALLICA

This year’s Metallica out-of-town pilgrimage actually began 564 days (1 year, 6 months & 17 days) ago from the day I purchased tickets to the day of the event. Since Metallica has not played my local area in over 5400 days (and counting), travelling is the only way to see these titans of metal and one of my all-time favourite bands. Since that last Tampa show in 2009, I have been fortunate to be able to travel to see Metallica play in seven different cities for eight concerts, including the two-day M72 stop in East Rutherford, NJ in August 2023. I figured there was no way any decent seats would be available at face value when the M72 World Tour single-show Metallica tickets went on sale. The two-day ticket sales had started months prior.

On November 28th, 2022 Metallica announced their M72 No Repeat Weekend world tour with each city on the tour having two nights, two different sets, and two different opening acts. “Starting in April of 2023, we’ll be visiting 22 different cities around the world and playing two nights in each city, with each No Repeat Weekend show a completely unique experience: Two totally different set lists with two different bands opening the show each night! Purchase a two-day ticket, and you won’t see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs…”[1] Their fan club presale started two days later and I secured the NJ tickets with eyes set on trying to hit at least one more stop on the tour, but planned to wait on the single day ticket sales in the hopes that the two-day purchasers had not sold the shows out already.

It was Monday, January 16, 2023. In multiple time zones across the globe at 9 AM local time (for each show) when the single show ticket sales began. This was nearly two months after both fan club pre-sales and public sale of the 2-Day tickets. I zeroed in on the Foxborough, MA Friday date for multiple reasons. I could not fit any more concert trips into 2023 and still be employed at my current job. I had already seen Metallica play in both Chicago and Minneapolis prior (the other viable 2024 options for me) and being the Friday show, Pantera was one of the opening bands.

Out of curiosity, I will just look…no way there are any decent face value seats I said to myself as I entered the (dreaded) Ticketmaster room queue…holy shit, there are near center stage at midfield, sixteenth row, first level tickets at face value!!! My selection of those seats and order I think that may have been the quickest I have ever completed the arduous Ticketmaster checkout process.

Finally, it was time to board the flight the day before the show, as I try to not travel on the day of an event. The plan was to fly to La Guardia Airport in NY, pick up a rental car, meet my friend Christina when she got off work, then we had a three-hour road trip to just outside of Providence, RI and lodging that was just thirty minutes away from our destination the next evening, Gillette Stadium.

At breakfast the morning of the show, Christina overheard another hotel guest mentioning they were headed to visit the Lizzy Borden house and after a quick Google search, we discovered it was a mere fifteen minutes away so that was a no-brainer to fill some time before the show. Thankfully it was not an ordeal to get to the stadium versus what I was expecting and we parked quite easily with plenty of time to visit the merchandise booth to acquire souvenir shirts before finding our way to our seats.

MAMMOTH WVH

Mammoth WVH played a six-song set that engaged the on-hand crowd. I find Wolfgang Van Halen to be an incredibly talented musician and Christina was enamoured mentioning that this is the closest she would ever get to (his father) Eddie Van Halen. Once their set concluded, the band exited the field right in front of us to a rousing cheer from the crowd. After Mammoth WVH, we made our way halfway around the stadium concourse to meet up with two of Christina’s friends and two of my friends were at the show. It was great to meet new friends and see old friends.

PANTERA

Pantera hit the stage for a ten-song set of raw power and aggression. Vocalist Phil Anselmo stomped around the stage barefoot (just like last year in NJ), alongside bassist Rex Brown, joining touring musicians Zakk Wylde on guitar and Charlie Benante on drums. While I am not here to take sides on the debate whether or not this is Pantera, I was here for some kick-ass rock and metal and that is exactly what we fans were treated to this evening. I will say that it is very tasteful the way this iteration of the band portrays its history in their set. The focus is about the music, the fans, and the legacy both created together over the years. This rebirth and tour is for the fans and Charlie and axe man extraordinaire Zakk do not try and put the focus on either of themselves during the set. To say it was a glorious hour is an understatement, again I selected this date just for the Pantera set and I tried my best to soak in every note and moment.

Then it was time for the main event. When the sounds of “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” by AC/DC start playing over the venue’s sound system, the electricity in the crowd goes up several notches as we know we are mere minutes away from Metallica hitting the stage. Seconds after AC/DC completes the video screens begin to play Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’, “…a three-minute swirl of crescendoing orchestral might that sets a tone of invincibility and triumph”[2] (see this footnote reference to see why Metallica has used this walkout song for every one of their concerts since 1983, minus the Load/Reload years). Finally, at our far left corner of the ringed center stage a drum kit pops up, lights go out then the crashing sounds of my second all-time favourite Metallica song, “Creeping Death” erupts and even though I was anticipating that as the opening song, both Christina and I knew it in an instant! It takes a second for the collective crowd to recognize those opening notes and erupt in cheer. Segueing right into another favourite of mine “Harvester of Sorrow“, then right into “Lepper Messiah” it was about as kick-ass of an opening portion any Metallica fan could ask for.

“King Nothing” concluded drummer Lars Ulrich in the far corner to our left and when his drum kit arose on the near left portion of the stage, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, James Hetfield inquired if we in the crowd knew that the band had a new release out and the band proceeded to play the title track “72 Seasons” and judging by the roar of the crowd, I was not alone in my enjoyment of the new tunes. I am quite a fan of the new release, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Another kick-ass new song “If Darkness Had a Son” was followed by the segment where bassist Robert Trujillo and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett collaborate on their musical “doodle” that has a touch of local flare for whatever city the band is performing in that night. For this night they titled their song “Foxborough on the Run“.

In my opinion, the underrated Death Magnetic was represented with “The Day That Never Comes” that led into “Shadows Follow“, another standout song for me on the new release. It was already quite apparent just how much Christina was enjoying the show as Lars’ kit now moved to the near right side of the stage for us when the band started the second half of the show with “Orion“. I tell you that instrumental song took her exuberance to the next level! “Nothing Else Matters” was next and while I was far from a fan of this ballad crap from a thrash band through the years, I can say this song has grown on me musically over the years. Then James asked if we “…wanted heavy?” To which of course the answer was yes and the powerfully heavy anthemic “Sad But True” rocked us into Lars’ drum kit now at the far right side of the stage from us.

The frantic “Hardwired” led into another of my Metallica favourites “Fuel” and yes the circular stage became a ring of fire. In a brutal dig at the New England Patriots, just prior to “Seek and Destroy” James said, “…for those who have come to Metallica shows in the past, you probably remember seeing beach balls, but we’re going to deflate them a little this time…this coming from a Raiders fan of course.” With Christina being a New York Giants fan she let out quite the loud laugh at this one as she had mentioned about her “…being a Giants fan going into enemy territory…” as we made arrangements for this adventure.

“Seek and Destroy” is another of a long list of my favourite Metallica tunes. I have not seen any attendance figures but easily there had to be at least sixty thousand in attendance all singing together as one, SEARCHING…SEEK AND DESTROY!!!!! Sadly this lead to the last song of the evening, the genre-defining “Master of Puppets” from the release that instantly upon hearing it back in 1986, I became a metalhead for life. Once the instruments were put down and the lights were turned up each band member shared their appreciation for us with us and slowly we made our way to the exit.

I really like the whole ‘in the round’ setup – it is a massive stage and allows the band members to engage with more of the audience than just a stage set up on one side of the stadium. There are eight massive round screens situated at equal intervals around the stage, which not only add to the light show but also provide video screens for a great view of the action no matter where you are in the stadium. Inside the circle of the stage is the Snake Pit, which offers those inside the best views for the lucky few who either had the finances to purchase those tickets or were lucky enough to win their way in.

It was my thirteenth time seeing Metallica and it was a glorious fifteen-song set that touched upon ten of their studio releases. While the second night of the two-night weekend in Foxborough got my all-time favourite Metallica song played, I would not trade this experience for anything.

Our travel adventures on the road trip back included meeting up with Christina’s friends Matt and Lisa for breakfast the day after the show and driving through a Northeastern monsoon that rivals any crazy afternoon thunderstorm that I have seen in Florida. It was an incredibly memorable and fantastic trip and a freaking awesome concert.

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Setlist for Metallica, August 2, 2024:

Creeping Death
Harvester of Sorrow
Leper Messiah
King Nothing
72 Seasons
If Darkness Had a Son (followed by ‘Foxborough on the Run’ Kirk & Rob doodle)
The Day That Never Comes
Shadows Follow
Orion
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
Hardwired
Fuel
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets