{"id":255903,"date":"2025-11-01T17:41:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T17:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/255903\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T17:41:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T17:41:18","slug":"metallica-review-heavy-metal-titans-rock-perths-optus-stadium-in-m72-world-tour-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/255903\/","title":{"rendered":"Metallica Review: Heavy metal titans rock Perth\u2019s Optus Stadium in M72 world tour show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Optus Stadium has weathered some wild nights but none like this.<\/p>\n

Metallica shook the $1.6 billion arena to its rubbish tip foundations last night delivering a blistering two-hour set in front an estimated 60,000 black-clad fans.<\/p>\n

The heavy metal titans returned to the banks of the Swan River, having performed at the old Burswood Dome in 2010, for the first leg of their five-city Australian tour.<\/p>\n

The sexagenarian quartet tore through classics from 1980s and \u201990s as well as some later material in a spectacular light and sound show at the city end of the stadium \u2014 a part of the field is usually dominated by nimble footballers less than half their age.<\/p>\n

\"KirkCamera IconKirk Hammett in full flight. Credit: Jackson Flindell\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

Hitting the stage just before 9pm and walking out to Ecstasy of Gold \u2014 Ennio Morricone\u2019s instrumental theme from The Good The Bad The Ugly \u2014 the group then whipped the crowd into a frenzy with \u201980s epic For Whom the Bell Tolls and Black album hit Holier Than Thou.<\/p>\n

That was before a pyrotechnic show that put the Perth Scorchers to shame with flames hitting the roof of the stadium as they pumped out \u201990s fave Fuel.<\/p>\n

Other early titles on the set included Unforgiven and Wherever I May Roam.<\/p>\n

\"Metallica\u2019sCamera IconMetallica\u2019s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. Credit: Jackson Flindell\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

But the four rockers and their combined 246 years proved age is just a number \u2014 and a loud one at that in particular for those cashed-up fans in the Snake Pit, an exclusive pocket that wrapped around the front of the stage where tickets fetched up to $4000.<\/p>\n

The male Gen X-dominated crowd – many with their teenage sons in tow – seemingly forgave lead singer James Hetfield, who broke their hearts in 2019 when he sought treatment for alcohol addiction and entered rehab just prior to the band\u2019s Australian stadium tour, prompting the cancellation of their much-anticipated Optus Stadium gig.<\/p>\n

The roar hit before Hetfield\u2019s first note, as the 62-year-old – fresh off a day trip to Rottnest Island – proved he\u2019s still more force of nature than fading frontman.<\/p>\n

It was Metallica\u2019s sixth trip to WA, having first performed in Perth at the since-demolished Entertainment Centre in 1993 when they delivered an an epic 19-song set which climaxed with their anthemic Enter Sandman.<\/p>\n

\"Metallica\u2019sCamera IconMetallica\u2019s Lars Urlich and James Hetfield. Credit: Jackson Flindell\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

Saturday night\u2019s show wasn\u2019t as long but still packed and power precision from a band that has played to more three million fans on their current M72 Tour, which kicked off in 2023.<\/p>\n

Metallica were supported by 2000s American goth rockers Evanesence and thrash metal cult outfit Suicidal Tendencies.<\/p>\n

\"KirkCamera IconKirk Hammett and James Hetfield. Credit: Jackson Flindell\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

It punctuated a huge week of live music in Perth with American soul singer Teddy Swims and crooner James Blunt performing on consecutive nights at RAC Arena mid week, before British pop granddad Sir Cliff Richard took to the stage at the Riverside Theatre last night.<\/p>\n

Metallica set listCreeping DeathFor Whom the Bell TollsHolier Than ThouFuelThe UnforgivenWherever I May RoamKirk and Rob DoodleThe Day That Never ComesMoth Into FlameSad but TrueNothing Else MattersSeek & DestroyLux \u00c6ternaMaster of Puppets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Optus Stadium has weathered some wild nights but none like this. Metallica shook the $1.6 billion arena to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255904,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[64,63,134,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-255903","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}