Metallica will celebrate 40 years as a band this weekend, with a four-day event in its hometown of San Francisco.
Mayor London Breed proclaimed Thursday "Metallica Day" during a press conference at Chase Center alongside two members of the iconic band, kicking off a four-day celebration of the heavy metal group.
"We're just getting started, and all our best years are still ahead of us," drummer Lars Ulrich joked during Thursday’s press conference. "We may turn professional soon, so we've got that going for us."
They're celebrating this milestone with a four-day Metallica takeover of San Francisco. Metallica will perform at Chase Center on Friday and Sunday night and hold a block party in the Mission on Thursday, among a number of events in the city.
Fans from all over the world have descended on the city to be a part of it.
"It's the first time I came to the U.S., so it huge I still can't believe that I'm currently here." Mathieu Rizzo of France told KCBS Radio on Thursday.
Rizzo traveled with his friend, Sylvain Sanpedro, who made the journey from Switzerland. They met at a Metallica concert in 2014.
"Metallica is not just music," Rizzo added. "It's bringing people from all around the world, and I think it's beautiful."
A number of lifelong fans attended the famed heavy metal band's press conference to kick off the weekend, many of whom couldn't wait to see their idols and open their wallets to purchase Mettalica-themed merchandise yet again.
"I flew in from Pittsburgh last night, so I was here for the symphony shows," Mark Crosby, a Pennsylvania resident, told "Bay Current" producer Matt Pitman on Thursday. "This is the seventh or eighth time I’ve seen Metallica this fall."
Ulrich said the fans are the reason they are here in San Francisco this weekend, fueling the band to keep going after all these years. The weekend is also a family affair for Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo.
"One of the great things that's happening this weekend, is our kids, our sons, have bands and they're performing in the city," Trujillo said Thursday. "I think that is so incredible for Lars and I. That’s a dream come true, and it's happening right here."
Metallica fans can find a full list of events on the band's website.
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