When it was announced that Metallica were to play the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City, fans had no idea what they would be in for. After all, the capacity of the Apollo is 1,506 and Metallica are used to playing shows of 50,000 and above. But with the help of SiriusXM, the band gave fans the show of a lifetime, with nonstop, in-your-face metal packaged in an unbelievably intimate setting at a historic venue.
The motto for the night was “Never Before … And Never Again.” Never before had Metallica rocked the Apollo, and if the slogan is any indicator, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The show was an exclusive event for SiriusXM listeners who were lucky enough to win tickets to the gig, but that exclusive feeling wasn’t unique to the concertgoers. It was obvious the band was humbled to be playing on such an illustrious stage. At one point, frontman James Hetfield said in a very honest tone, “I can’t believe they let us play this place.”
Opening with the first song of their professional career, ‘Hit the Lights,’ and sprinkling in classics like ‘Master of Puppets,’ ‘Blackened’ and ‘Creeping Death’ — along with two tracks from their most recent studio album, ‘Death Magnetic’ — Metallica didn’t hold anything back. Sure, there were no pyrotechnics, there were no massive LED screens and there was no crazy, high-tech light show. But that didn’t matter. When cranked to 11, all that’s needed for a killer ‘Tallica show is pure, raw rock ‘n’ roll. The night wrapped up with an explosive rendition of the authoritative ‘Seek and Destroy.’ No song could have better ended such a highly charged performance.
In a time in their career when everyone wants to know when the next studio album will drop, Metallica have done a great job of keeping fans interested and engaged in other things. Whether it’s their first full-length feature film, ‘Metallica: Through The Never,’ that hits IMAX theaters this week (Sept. 27) or playing an intimate show to fans that was broadcast throughout North America on their very own Mandatory Metallica channel on SiriusXM, the band always seems to have something up their sleeves.
Speaking of new music, though, there was one point in the night that came right after ‘Blackened’ when all four members started an unfamiliar jam. For a few minutes, nobody in the crowd knew what was coming out of the speakers, other than that it rocked. As they wrapped up the jam, Hetfield cracked a joke about the new album. Knowing that they have hundreds of riffs already, it’s very possible that fans at the Apollo and SiriusXM listeners tuning in at home heard history in the making and got a sneak peek into what’s to come with Metallica.
The second part of the night’s motto was simply, “… Because Lightning Doesn’t Strike Twice.” Metallica are a force to be reckoned with, and no matter where they go or what they do, they do it with the utmost professionalism and excitement, keeping their fans in mind every step of the way. Metallica will never play New York City’s Apollo Theater again, and we’re OK with that. After all, it makes the show that much more special to those who were lucky enough to experience it, whether in-person or through their radio speakers. Metallica came, they saw and they … destroyed!
Exclusive Photos of Metallica Live at New York City’s Apollo Theater:
Metallica Set List – The Apollo Theater – Sept. 21, 2013
‘Hit the Lights’
‘Master of Puppets’
‘Ride the Lightning’
‘Harvester of Sorrow’
Kirk Jam #1
‘The Day That Never Comes’
‘The Memory Remains’
‘Broken, Beat and Scarred’
Trujillo Jam
‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’
‘Sad But True’
‘Orion’
‘One’
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’
‘Blackened’
Kirk Jam #2
‘Nothing Else Matters’
‘Enter Sandman’
‘Master of Puppets’
‘Ride the Lightning’
‘Harvester of Sorrow’
Kirk Jam #1
‘The Day That Never Comes’
‘The Memory Remains’
‘Broken, Beat and Scarred’
Trujillo Jam
‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’
‘Sad But True’
‘Orion’
‘One’
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’
‘Blackened’
Kirk Jam #2
‘Nothing Else Matters’
‘Enter Sandman’
Encore
‘Creeping Death’
‘Battery’
‘Seek and Destroy’
‘Creeping Death’
‘Battery’
‘Seek and Destroy’
No comments:
Post a Comment