Metallica will be doing their part to keep their fans engaged and raging during self-isolation by posting videos of full concerts every week for what they’re calling #MetallicaMondays.
The first show is their appearance at Meath, Ireland’s Slane Castle last June. The band played 18 songs over the course of two and a half hours that night, tackling a variety of hits — “Enter Sandman,” “One,” “Sad But True” — and fan favorites like “Ride the Lightning” and “Spit Out the Bone.” And, of course, the setlist features their cover of Irish rockers Thin Lizzy’s “Whiskey in the Jar.” The footage features aerial shots and close-ups of each of the band members, and it shows off the group’s large-scale production with all its LED lights and pyro.
The concerts will premiere every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the band’s YouTube and Facebook feeds. “While we’re all doing our part and staying home, we find ourselves missing live music, so how about we dive back into a few of our favorite shows at a socially responsible distance?” the band said in a statement. “Not to sound too cheesy, but now more than ever, we’re in this together, and staying connected is how we’ll get through it. With that in mind, we’re bringing a series of Live Metallica shows right to your couch!”
Metallica have not played live since their spectacular September S&M2 concerts, where they performed alongside the San Francisco Symphony. Shortly after those gigs, the band announced that frontman James Hetfield was reentering rehab. He made his first public appearance since getting treatment in late January, but announced that he and the band would not be able to take part in some planned festival shows this summer so he could continue to take care of himself. Many of those engagements have since been canceled altogether because of the coronavirus pandemic. The band’s next scheduled concert is set to take place September 17th at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
