Unexpected, I had the opportunity to see the masters of metal, Metallica, live on their Worldwired Tour. I was treated to an incredibly powerful performance that rocked me to the core. A great experience and must see show!
TWICKENHAM STADIUM
To be really honest with you, till this morning I had no intention to go to Metallica. The only reason I’m in London is to see Bon Jovi tomorrow. Last night, someone robbed me on my way to my apartment. So, this morning, as I called the police to report the incident, a group of people overheard me. They were here in London to see Metallica, but their friend was sick.
They offered me to come with them! How freaking awesome. I took the opportunity and I treated my new friends to some beers as we watched a great night of rock and metal in the heart of London. Thank you so much, guys, wouldn’t have wanted to miss this amazing night!
BOKASSA
The Norwegian power trio Bokassa was the first of two support acts tonight. This band is a fun combination of punk, hardcore, metal and rock. I would be lying if I said I knew them before today’s set, but that said, they sounded great and won me over.
We were treated to an 9 song strong set that felt loud and well executed. They opened with Impending Doom, Last Night (Was a Real Massacre and Hellbilly Handfishin’. The mixture of different musical styles blended amazingly together into an original “Bokassa” style. Some other highlights for me were the songs Vultures and Five Finger Fuckhead.
Vultures emerges from their upcoming album, Crimson Riders, which is set to release tomorrow. Exciting times for the band! Show some support and give them a listen.
GHOST
I’m a huge Ghost fan, and seeing them live was incredibly exciting for me. Is it a bummer that I’m standing far away from the stage, and it’s not in full Ghost ritual setting? Perhaps, yes, but it didn’t stop the band to bring an exceptional performance. And also, who am I to complain?! I wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place.
In the past we would see Papa I, II or III fronting the Nameless Ghouls band, this time it was Cardinal Copia. The Cardinal was appointed last year as the frontman before the Prequelle album was released. Personally, I love the character, he is very energetic and dances and moves around a lot. The new masks of the Ghouls also looks killer, and it’s great to see that they know have the opportunity to sing as well, with the mouthpiece cut out.
Since the band was only a special guest, their set was shorter than a usual show. However, that didn’t deter them from bringing their A-game. They adorned the massive Metallica stage with stunning glass window backdrops. It gave this eery feel, even in the daylight. The band kicked off with Ashes before going straight into Rats, Absolution and Ritual.
A SPECTACLE
Ghost sounded incredibly tight and managed to win the crowd over pretty early on. From the Pinnacle to the Pit, Faith and Circe let to perhaps the greatest moment of the show: Miasma. I love this song, and although it doesn’t feature the Cardinal on vocals, it does feature Papa Nihil on saxophone. Awesome moment and the crowd loved it!
Year Zero brought some darkness to the set together with Mummy Dust. This was before the dance moves came back, with Dance Macabre and Square Hammer closing the set. Ghost sounded awesome and I had a blast watching them. It was a great set that had a nice variation between the latest album materials and older songs. I can’t wait to see the band in a live setting again.
METALLICA
Is it odd to even feel a need to write something about Metallica? After all, this American heavy metal is seen as one of the founding four bands of trash metal. Bringing hit after hit in the 80s and 90s and making metal accessible to the masses. The current line up features guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. Currently, the masters of metal are touring in promotion of their 2016 album release Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.
I was stoked to see the band live, and they didn’t disappoint. In a sold-out stadium, filled with black band shirts, the crowd was ready and pumping fists before the band even made it onto the stage. Tonight was the 28th time that the band performed in London, playing the city for the first time at the Marquee back in 1984.
The show kicked off with Hardwired. The strong sound that Metallica is so famous for filled the stadium. The riffs, heavy bass lines and even the solid sound of drums came all together in a show that led the music do the talking. The Memory Remains, Ride the Lightning and Harvester of Sorrow made place for a loud cheer when The Unforgiven started playing.
METAL GIANTS
With the few bits of talking that took place, lead singer James Hetfield asked the crowd if they still liked Metallica? Unsurprisingly, a roar of 80,000 people erupted with arms, fits and the horns shown all around. It was an obvious answer, as the concert was sold out and filled with fans of the band. But then again, it was never really about the question.
I loved how close the band comes to the crowd. You see them jam and play with almost no barrier between them and the crowd. I was having a blast and the show was on high speed with Here Comes Revenged and Moth Into Flame following each other up quickly. Sad but True, No Leaf Clover and Frantic gave the audience some deeper cuts. The band seemed to have a great time as well. At some point, Hetfield confessed he was forgetting to sing, because he was headbanging with the Metallica Family (their fanbase).
As the main set was coming close to ending, a lot of the big hits made their way into the stadium, starting with One. For a minute it felt we were on a battlefield, with the big screen and pyro adding to the ambiance. The thrill was felt in every fibre when the riff of Master of Puppets started. A great feeling! For Whom the Bell Tolls, Creeping Death and Seek & Destroyed closed the main electrifying set.
The encore was once again hit filled, starting off with the Lords of Summer. A perfect night together with 80,000 new friends ended with Nothing Else Matters, and Enter Sandman. Fireworks lit up the stadium as the band made their final bows.
Truly a night to remember!
REVIEW
I had an absolute blast tonight! All 3 bands sounded killer and delivered amazing sets. Seeing one of my favourite bands, Ghost, live was a nice surprise. When I travelled to London, I never imagined seeing Metallica live. Sometimes the best things happen unexpectably. Tonight I made new friends who took me to see the metal giants and even walked away with a Metallica guitar pick. Once the show was over, they let people walk into the golden circle and there on the ground lay this pick!
Tonight showed me why the band is seen as one of the biggest and most influential metal bands of all time. They rocked and conquered London and left it wanted more. The show had a nice balance of hits and newer material, and had a great dose of pyro and show elements.
Read more of my concert reviews here!
