[kj] Metallica Tonight at The Wiltern Theater

[Alexander Smith]

"The only downside was no new stuff from the upcoming album was played."

Given the weakness of their last *several* studio albums, I'd say that  
they were doing you a favor.

Alex in NYC



On May 15, 2008, at 4:04 AM, T.B. wrote:


> Wow.  What a great show.

>

> Just to offer a bit of background, I'm not a huge Metallica fan.  I  

> have see them 3 times before, once at the beginning of the "And  

> Justice For All" tour in late '89, early in the Black album tour in  

> '91 with Faith No More and again the same tour with Guns n' Roses.   

> After that, I lost interest even though I casually kept up on their  

> post Black album releases.

>

> When tickets went on sale for this relatively small benefit show for  

> a local music conservatory in Silver Lake, I figured it would at  

> least be cool to see these guys in a small venue.

>

> I got to The Wiltern Theater around 6:30 which is usually plenty of  

> time to get admittance in the pit as long as I'm within the first  

> 200 - 250 in line to get in.  Tonight was completely insane though.  

> Probably because both the floor and the balcony was separate GA, it  

> seemed like *everyone* going to the show was already there and the  

> line went completely around the block.  I have never seen so many  

> people lined up to get in this venue that early before the doors  

> opened.

>

> Still, they opened the doors around 7:15 and the line moved fast and  

> I was able to get a great spot just outside the pit about 25 feet  

> back from the stage.  The place filled up really fast and the  

> opening band was "Scars on Broadway" which was comprised of a few  

> old members of System of a Down. Pretty decent band, kind of a cross  

> between older Rush and maybe Anthrax or something.  The audience was  

> really well behaved through their set but you could tell everyone  

> was just waiting to explode Once Metallica took the stage.

>

> And sure enough, just after 9:30, Metallica opened with "Am I Evil"  

> and the place went nuts.  Even though there were lots of signs  

> posted warning against moshing and crowd surfing, there were several  

> pockets of it going on through most of the show although by the last  

> third of the show, it kind of died down especially after it appeared  

> several people got pretty badly injured.  Also I saw paramedics come  

> in and haul at least two really wasted guys out from the front late  

> in the show.

>

> The band itself was just incredibly tight from start to finish.   

> Everyone seemed at the top of their game.  Absolutely no weak links  

> in the band at all. The sounded as muscular and precise as any time  

> in the late 80's, imo. The sound was really fuckin' loud yet perfect  

> sounding.  From a musical standpoint, I couldn't ask for better.   

> James rarely sang and played center stage, he usually stayed either  

> on the right or left side mics while Trujillo and Hammit traded  

> center stage.  Hetfield only briefly spoke to the audience a few  

> times about the reason for the benefit and the band pretty much just  

> slammed through the set non stop.

>

> A cool part of the encore was when Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist  

> Flea joined the band for "Fight Fire With Fire."

>

> The only downside was no new stuff from the upcoming album was played.

>

> Other than that, a superb show.

>

> setlist:

>

> Am I Evil

> Fuel

> For Whom The Bell Tolls

> Sanitarium

> And Justice For All

> Sad But True

> Disposable Heroes

> One

> Master Of Puppets

> Battery

>  Encore 1:

> Quick jam/Last Caress/Green Hell

> No Remorse

> Enter Sandman

>  Encore 2:

> Fight Fire With Fire (Flea guesting on Bass)

> Seek And Destroy

>

> T.B.

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