I'm still trying to figure why this happens to be my first show with Metallica after more than a decade of being a true metal fan and metalhead. I could blame timing, too small venues, no money.... but I won't make excuses! After listening to all of their albums over a hundred time literally - yes, even St. Anger - and wearing their T-shirts and accessories, talking to them at length to small-minded people on how and why they're the greatest band alive, and defending them to all the hypocrites in the metal world, I FINALLY GOT TO SEE METALLICA PERFORM!!!!!!!!!!! And, to make things even better, I got to see them front row, baby! But what would have made this night extra better would have been to go backstage and meet the band. Since I don't belong to the MetClub and I'm too cheap and stingy to shell out a couple bucks to join - what am I, 14-years-old? - I didn't get to meet them..... yet! (I'm still working on that part.) Also, unfortunately, it was behind on their gear and trunks carrying their equipment, so I ended up staring at Metallica's guitar tech Zach Harmon's ugly face all night while witnessing a great show..... no, more than just a show - it was a fuckin' event! I will go out on a limb and say that without a doubt - METALLICA IS THE GREATEST METAL BAND ALIVE..... THE GREATEST ROCK BAND ALIVE...... THE GREATEST LIVE BAND ALIVE...... and..... STILL THE KINGS OF METAL! Sadly, Machine Head and The *snicker* Sword had no hope of performing at their level and were promptly blown away by these so-called "over-the-hill, 40-something, million-dollar sellouts" who reinforced my belief that they are still the kings of metal!
I'm not exaggerating when I say that the entire Nassau Coliseum was SOLD OUT! And when Metallica took to the stage, every seat was filled! Everybody was on their feet and cheering them on! Many fans - old and young, men and women, veterans and newcomers, white, black, Asian and hispanic, Metallica-lovers and Metallica-haters (yes, even the haters who were supposedly there for Machine Head) - paid their respects to 'Tallica! I always hear a lot of bullshit, especially from fans, that they either suck or they're finished or whatever, but last night proved to me and to everyone that they are far from it! Metallica is here to stay forever.... or at least for another decade or so.
THE SWORD - This badly-named crew opened the show and came close to ending it as well.... but for all the wrong reasons. I don't know much about them or their songs, only that Ulrich digs them and decided to have them tag along. A more contemporary metal band would have sufficed - Chimaira, as I've jokingly told to two of its members who are about to embark on a silly tour in order to "gain more fans," would have been a more suitable opener for the show. Due to sound and audio issues, The Sword nearly put me to sleep. I'm sure they have fans wherever they're from, but they proved that they are SO NOT READY for arena-type crowds and should stick to mainly small clubs and outback rooms. Set Rating: C+
MACHINE HEAD - This just so happens to be my first MH show as well, and I had come to expect more from these guys, especially when you take into account all the hullabaloo being bandied about from the metal press - especially in Europe (Metal Hammer, for example) - on 2007's The Blackening that they were the worthy successors to Metallica and that their latest was this generation's Master of Puppets, going so far as to actually include a cover version of MOP's "Battery." (Honestly, it's this generation's ...And Justice for All, if even that!) Despite songs like "Clenching the Fists of Dissent," "Imperium," "Halo" and the Iron Maiden cover "Hallowed Be Thy Name," among a couple more undiscernible titles, Machine Head failed to impress me. Sounds shocking, but true. And no amount of seeing the whorish-looking "Metal Nurse" could fix that. Flynn sang well, Duce played well, McClain drummed well, and Demmel didn't pass out this time! But they weren't great and I had high hopes that they would elevate the show to titanic heights. Good set, but not great.... keep reading on for greatness! Set Rating: B-
In between these two sets, two separate fights broke out right behind me! One involving security who was trying to stop some asshole from drunkenly pushing people out of his way. At one point, the security jumped on the guy and they went at it as the crowd parted into a moshpit-looking circle. It took two other security guards to hold the one guard back. A third fight nearly broke out during Metallica's set, but was resolved quickly as a couple were pulled out. Wow, and I thought Danzig's show last year was a volatile one! WHEW!
METALLICA - When the first bell is rung from "Ecstasy of Gold" I started to get chills and when the aria/female vocals swept the crowd, a surge of emotions came at me, hitting me all at once and I began to tear up... I'm not ashamed to admit it! (Such is the power of a great band!) Finally, after so long as a fan of Metallica's, I got to be front-and-center throughout the whole thing and it got to me. Instead of sitting at Row-T/Seat-321 in the back like my ticket had read, I was going to witness another history-making show! I got to see the old boys doing what they do best and it was everything I had hoped it would be. From multi-colored flames shooting up high to a FUCKIN' LASER SHOW!!!!! it was not what I had expected from them. Metallica played all the right songs with the right amount of energy to the right crowd of people! At one point, Hetfield gave a fan his sweaty shirt after looking at some banner. Hammett - wearing eyeliner!!!! - smiled and pointed the banner out, too, which must have said something interesting. The set opened strong (with the first six songs knocking it out), relaxed (during "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters") and settled in the middle, and ended beautifully with great encores and beach balls! During "Seek & Destroy," all these black Metallica/Death Magnetic beach balls fell from the ceiling and it suddenly became a party! I managed to catch one and keep it, as well as getting catching one (of many) of Trujillo's bass picks autographed and Metallicized! Oh, and I did happen to catch Hetfield's sweat rags and was going to keep it, but realizing how gross it was, I threw it in the laundry bucket.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Another thing that got me last night, is that probably 90-95% of the crowd were among the many to say that Metallica sucks or that they sold out. Viewing the thousands in attendance with me, behind me, to the side of me, I was surrounded by hypocrites! And even though it was great seeing these hypocrites on their feet, I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by this sudden change of embracement for the band. People reallr need to choose their sides carefully and stick to it. One thing I hate most in this world - liars and hypocrites.
METALLICA'S SETLIST (in proper order):
That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Creeping Death
The Thing That Should Not Be
One
Broken, Beat and Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
The Unforgiven
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master of Puppets
Damage, Inc.
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
Stone Cold Crazy
Phantom Lord
Seek & Destroy
An exhausting night and a thrilling night at that! Metallica..... well, what else can be said? They were easily the best show of '09 already - AND WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Set Grade: A+
TRINKETS AND SOUVENIRS
- Trujillo's bass pick
- Metallica/Death Magnetic beach ball
- Multiple Metallica ticket stubs, one includes a MetClub "World Magnetic" ticket
SHOW GRADE: A
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