Metallica’s 30th Anniversary Concert
While we were waiting for the event to being video messages were shown on the big screen. These were messages from: Jimmy Page, Brian May, Lemmy, Green Day, Dream Theater, Anthrax, Death Angel, Aerosmith, Slayer, Hatebreed, Dillinger Escape Plan, Lamb of God, Wolfmother, Mastodon, The Scorpions, MSG, actor Peter Coyote and several sports stars as well. One of the funniest clips was from U2 – in a group therapy session, spoofing Metallica’s documentary movie Some Kind of Monster.
So check this out, the first opening band was The Soul Rebels - a New Orleans brass-band who came in blasting their arrangement of Enter Sandman! The came walking in from behind the audience from the lobby. The followed it up with Battery and ended with The Memory Remains. This one was actually my favorite. They took the main riff and turned it into what would be great intro-music for a boxer or for some kind of sporting event!
Metallica walked onto the stage to welcome us all and then to introduce the host for the evening comedian Jim Breuer. He was hilarious telling jokes, impersonating Lars and James, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne and Brian Johnson of AC/DC. He also did a little game show where 3 audience members came up to test their Metallica trivia knowledge.
The band took the stage again to introduce the opening act, a band called Lääz Rockit. The were on stage for about 30 minutes before Metallica got on stage to work. Here is the evening’s setlist:
Suicide & Redemption
Master of Puppets
…And Justice for All
Of Wolf and Man
Fade to Black
The Thing That Should Not Be
I Disappear
The Outlaw Torn
Hell and Back
Blitzkrieg performed with Joseph Guariglia – an audience member who played rhythm guitar perfectly with James.
For Whom the Bell Tolls with Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains!
Nothing Else Matters – also with Jerry Cantrell.
So What! with Anti-Nowhere League’s Animal (Nick Culmer).
Tuesday’s Gone with Gary Rossington (Lynrd Skynrd), Pepper Keenen (Corrosion of Conformity/ Down), Jerry Cantrell, and Jim Martin (Faith no More).
After the stage cleared, James said to the audience, “You know he’s here…So let’s just bring Jason out here now.” At this point everyone in the house went crazy as former bassist Jason Newstead walked out towards the center of the stage. Hugs were exchanged as the audience was chanting his name for something like 2 minutes! He strapped on a bass, stood next to current bassist Rob Trujillo as James Hetfield barked out the opening words to Fuel!
Jason stuck around to play Fight Fire with Fire.
Next Glenn Danzig (Misfits/Danzig) walks out and performs Die, Die My Darling and Green Hell.
As if the evening couldn’t have been any more amazing, James addresses us again saying,” Our next guest is a heavy metal icon… and the weirdest thing is that the older he gets – the better he sounds. Ladies and gentlemen… Mr. Rob Halford!” Yes, Rob Halford of Judas Priest – that Rob Halford! He came out and rocked the song Rapid Fire.
Finally, to close the show, Metallica asked everyone who was on stage earlier to come out and join them for their classic Seek and Destroy. We’re talking everyone: Laaz Rockit, Jason, Jerry, Pepper, Jim, Danzig, Animal - and the Soul Rebels brass band. They all took the stage and practically brought the house down. Near the end of the song a couple hundred balloons were dropped along with confetti.
Simply put it may have been the most amazing concert I’ve been to so far! Here are all the photos I took that night (plus a few i added from Metallica’s site):
