Where does one begin to start to share about witnessing something as epic as Metallica's S&M2 show in San Francisco last Sunday?
I should probably start with the fact that I've been a card-carrying member of the Metallica Club, or Metclub, for over 20 years. In recent years, the club format changed, and we're all considered "Fifth Members." Metallica are good to their fans, and proved it in one of the most epic ways possible with a special "Fifth Member Only" S&M2 show on Sunday, September 8th at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
I was fortunate enough to be one of the Fifth Members that won the opportunity to buy tickets. Fans from all over the world came flooding into San Francisco for this show! I personally met fans from Paris, Finland, Sweden, and Austria. (It seemed like nearly every country on the planet were represented when Lars asked to see how many people came from abroad.)
Metallica shirts were everywhere all weekend long - smiles and [metal] horns were exchanged similar to how Jeep people wave to each other.
While the show wasn't slated to start until 8pm Sunday night, fans were arriving to Chase Center in the early afternoon. Admittedly, we stood in line to grab merch well before doors, like hundreds of other fans. The strangest merch offering? A tie-dyed Metallica t-shirt... (I opted for the hoodie instead...)
As one might expect, there were quite a few "sharp dressed fans" at the show: tuxedos, formal dresses, suits, etc. - the best outfit was a customized Metallica S&M2 Kimono!
Once inside the Chase Center and at our seats, we saw the stage. Sitting in the middle of the arena, the stage held four sections that were for the symphony musicians, with Lars' drum kit in the middle, and mic stands in several places on every side of the stage. Above the stage were four circular structures that turned out to be large LED screens that added to the magic of the evening.
If you've ever seen a Metallica show, you know that they start every show with "Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone. Witnessing a live symphony orchestra playing it immediately gave me chills, and my emotions were overwhelming. In moments, the band members emerged from a hallway that was below our seats, and upon seeing them, the reality of what was about to happen hit me, and I let my emotions erupt in a happy and nervous scream, along with about 16,000+ other fans. It was as if we all collectively realized, "THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING."
They surged into "Call of Ktulu," similar to the first S&M performance, and from that point on, it was just awe and wonder. The band roamed the stage, making sure to give attention to all sides at all times, while the symphony added their elegance to each measure of music. The stage itself rotated slowly, so you could see all of the symphony over the course of the show.
The rest of the set list varied dramatically from the first S&M performance, and I thought they chose brilliantly. A few highlights for me were:
- Halo on Fire: One of my favorite songs from "Hardwired..." and in this format it achieved a new level of heaviness and emotion.
- The Outlaw Torn: It's one of my favorite Metallica songs EVER, and it was spectacular with the symphony. James' guitar work was out of this world - it seemed to be on a different level than ever.
- The Unforgiven III: 27 years ago, I saw Metallica play the last night of the Guns/Metallica tour, with James singing without his guitar due to still recovering from the Montreal accident. On Sunday, for the first time since then, I witnessed Hetfield sing without his guitar, and only with the symphony. It was intense and brave - and hauntingly beautiful.
- Anesthesia: Performed by Scott Pingle, lead bassist for the Symphony, who is a huge Cliff Burton fan. He not only composed something to go along with Cliff's iconic solo, but he paid tribute to it in a way that I don't have words for. We all felt Cliff's spirit alive and well in that moment especially - it was truly magical.
- Master of Puppets: It's my other favorite Metallica song, and as soon as I heard that opening sequence, my heart felt complete. That song comes alive in new ways with the symphony, and hearing it LIVE - witnessing the perfect combination of metal and classical - well, it took my breath away. Literally.
Honestly, every second of that show was amazing. Alas, I've written too much already for a "quick blog post about the show" that I promised Castle, so I will leave you with this final thought:
GO SEE THE MOVIE ON OCTOBER 9TH.
If you even thought you might want to see this, BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW.
I cannot be more serious - I would go see it TOMORROW if it was out already, it was THAT GOOD.
I'm praying that Metallica releases it for purchase on 4k or Blu-Ray after October... I want to relive this concert over and over again. Thanks for letting me share.
Horns up Rockaholics - see you at Redfestival!
Liquor & Lead Singers,
The Mistress of Booze
