Metallica live in Milan at full speed (with Prozac+ cover)
Metallica doesn't want their move to go unnoticed Milan. From the photo on social media of guitarist Kirk Hammett in front of the Duomo to the soundcheck the day before the show, James Hetfield and his associates were able to increase the anticipation for the concert scheduled for the evening of May 29th at the Snai La Maura racecourse. And in the San Siro neighborhood, they made themselves heard.
For Metallica, on the opening day of I-Days 2024, it's a return to Italy two years later the show at Florence Rocks and three from their last concert in Milan. But, above all, it is their first date in our area with new material to listen to live after some time. Last year the Los Angeles band's eleventh studio album was released, “72 Seasons”, the first since “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” in 2016, and in each stop of the tour in support of the album the band is presenting live a selection of songs, always different. fans' expectations are high even before the Milanese live, with fans lining up since early in the morning.
Starting in the late afternoon, the metalcore of the Americans will open the dance Ice Nine Kills and the alternative metal dei Five Finger Death Punch. The concert area inside the trotting racecourse is crowded with people of all agestransforming the event into a generational meeting: teenagers, adults and families with children are gathered under the stage. The weather is also on the right side and, despite the threat of bad weather, the sunset that accompanies the main set does not open up to precipitation. At nine o'clock sharp, “It's a long way to the top (If you wanna rock 'n' roll)” by AC/DC played over the speakers triggers a roar from the audience in response to the starting signal.
As expected, to the tune of “.The ecstasy of gold” by Ennio Morricone from the film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” by Sergio Leone, the Metallica concert then begins. With the stage LEDs lit up in red, while the structure of the scene and the video footage of the stage are reproduced on the giant screens live, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo take their places in the center of the main stage. In front of them is a circular walkway between the pit, and beyond the entire audience. “Creeping death” And “For whom the bell tolls” are the first two songs of the evening. The Four Horsemen embark on a long ride at full speedbut in their flight they are not never out of control.
For fans who had studied the setlists of Hetfield and co's previous shows, it is clear that the Milanese live show is destined to take an even different turn. “Holier than thou” is the confirmation that the live show is one surprise after another. The stage and the many microphones installed allow Hetfield to move from one side to the other, trying to get closer and closer to the audience. On stage the four musicians give the idea of wanting to play and have fun with each other, while each taking their own space and time. “It's nice to see you”: these are among the first words that the Metallica frontman addresses to the crowd, immediately overwhelmed by the performance of “Enter sandman“, in which Kirk Hammett's imagination on the guitar and Lars Ulrich's fury on the drums stand out from the opening.
The first part of the concert is a ride through two of the group's most beloved and significant albums, 1984's “Ride the lightning” and 1991's eponymous, also known as the “Black album”. The Four Horsemen then decide to change course and play some songs from the new album, starting with the title track and “Too far gone?“, at the end of which comes Metallica's dedication to Italy. “We like to improvise, we often do it among ourselves”, they say Hammett and Robert Trujillo taking the scene, ready to improvise on an Italian song. To the amazement of those present (and those who bet on which artist they would choose, even thinking of Måneskin), the group focuses on Prozac+ and their “Acidic“.
Metallica's show in Milan reserves surprises at every moment, such as the flames or fireworks that light up in some passages, or the inflatable balloons launched above the audience. Thus, in addition to other songs taken from “72 Season” (“Shadows follow” and “Lux Æterna”) and a foray into the classic “Master of puppets” from '86, Hetfield and his associates give the public “Nothing else matters“.
The band thus seems to conquer its fans present, getting closer and closer to them. Generosity is the strength of the Four Horsemen, who in their run interact with the public through music rather than words. The formation then moves completely towards the pit, with Lars Ulrich's battery in the center of the catwalk on which James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo are positioned. “.Seek & destroy” is another of those songs that the public hopes to hear live, and that Metallica decides to do, before closing with the ending that every fan would dream of. After “One“, at the end of a live show of sixteen tracks, for two hours of music, the band chooses to perform, “Master of puppets“, while images inspired by the cover of the 1986 album and “Stranger Things” flash on the screens. On the stage of the Snai La Maura Hippodrome, Metallica perform honor their over forty-year career to the assets and they give like this lesson in how ladders should be designed of concerts.
Ladder:
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (registered) – of AC/DC
The Ecstasy of Gold (registered) – by Ennio Morricone
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Holier Than Thou
Enter Sandman
72 Seasons
Too Far Gone? (Next, Kirk and Rob play 'Acida' by Prozac+)
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Shadows Follow
Orion
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
Lux Æterna
Seek & Destroy
One
Master of Puppets
