Metallica
Date: October 7, 2004 These Dark Sets Although Metallica has become one of the world's most maligned bands, they had no difficulties turning the Corel Centre audience into the most energetic crowd that I have ever seen in Ottawa. Leaning on classic material, with a few new numbers and surprises, the veteran band was unwilling to coast on reputation alone, instead delivering a killer set that pushed far past the two hour mark, keeping the fans whipped into a frenzy from start to finish. Due to OC Transpo apparently underestimating demand, I was stranded at a bus stop with other irate Metallica fans until the concert's scheduled start time, causing me to miss much of Godsmack's opening performance. From what I could tell, they did a solid job of warming up the audience. They took advantage of the 360-degree stage setting by setting up the drum kit on a rotating centre platform, changing directions between songs. After the equipment changeover, the lights dimmed and the video screens played a segment of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, with the Ennio Morricone score building anticipation. That tension was blown apart with a roaring "Blackened," with "Fuel" and a concert rarity, "Harvester of Sorrow," maintaining the rapid pace. Unlike Godsmack, Metallica set their drum kit at the edge of the stage. With the entire set-up timed to complete one full revolution over the course of the concert, it ended up being over an hour before I got a good look at drummer Lars Ulrich. However, the open space enabled the rest of the band to roam freely, directing their efforts at various crowd positions. From my position on the floor, there was action in front of me at almost all times. Only during moments such as the Kirk Hammett solo that came next was the show condensed to a single focal point. After "The Unforgiven" put hundreds of lighters into the air, the band upped the tempo again. "Frantic" didn't strike quite as well as some other songs; but "The Memory Remains" and "Wherever I May Roam" surpassed their recorded versions, amplifying the excitement that I had over finally seeing Metallica live. Throughout the night, James Hetfield was a gracious frontman, expressing appreciation to the adoring fans. His introduction to "St. Anger," encouraging those fans to bring out their anger, certainly echoed the therapy talk found in the fascinating Some Kind of Monster documentary; but overall, seeing the band enjoying playing together and interacting with the crowd definitely added to the fun. While the setlist had included older songs, the band had played for an hour without reaching as far back as their first three albums. Newest band member Robert Trujillo foreshadowed the approach of those earliest songs when his impressive bass solo touched not only ". . . And Justice For All" but also "Orion." Sure enough, the set concluded with a trio of classics: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," "Creeping Death," and "Fight Fire with Fire," a combination that provoked the best mosh that my piece of the floor saw throughout the night. The encore that followed laid down "Sad But True," another solid Hammett solo, and the crowd sing-along, "Nothing Else Matters." However, the ultimate moment in a concert of many highlights was the awesome "Master of Puppets," sounding every bit as vital and exciting as ever. Fortunately, this song coincided with my best view of Lars, as the revolving stage had finally brought his frantic playing into direct sight. Although "Master of Puppets" was the zenith, the show stayed on a high, with a barrage of pyrotechnics announcing "One," which led to "Enter Sandman," closing the first encore. The second encore was also a treat, with the rarely played Diamond Head cover, "The Prince" opening for another untouchable classic, "Seek and Destroy." The fact that Metallica remained on stage for several minutes, tossing souvenirs to the crowd, illustrates the kind of night that it was. A legendary band that could easily have rested on its laurels instead dropped a long, intense, sweaty, angry, joyous spectacle that fed on the mutual admiration of the group and its followers. Metallica setlist Main Set
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