Metallica is currently touring Europe for the second leg of the M72 tour. During this run, they are playing several major cities across Europe. Sometimes the band visits a city for a single show, and sometimes for an entire weekend. In the latter case, they call it a No Repeat Weekend, in which two completely different shows are performed on Friday and Sunday. Through connections, I managed to get tickets for a No Repeat Weekend in Frankfurt about a month before the concert. Because a certain Harry Styles, at 32 years old, is apparently too lazy to tour Europe and therefore rented the Amsterdam Arena for ten days, Metallica (almost twice as old as Harry Styles!) had to relocate to Frankfurt. Below is a report of day 2.
Also read the report from day 1!
Saturday is a rest day for many Metallica fans and offers a great opportunity to visit the pop-up store and score some goodies specially made for this show. The queue is long, but many brave the long wait in the sun to take something special home as a souvenir. All around the city, the terraces are packed with people wearing Metallica shirts. It gives the whole day a kind of family atmosphere. Everyone is cheerful and excited, while many a Metallica classic blasts across the terraces.
On Sunday, we are better prepared and leave early, but because the S-Bahn (as the metro is called in Frankfurt) is overcrowded, and it’s quite a walk from the station to the stadium, we arrive when Avatar are already playing. The atmosphere is excellent and remains friendly throughout: someone in front of me becomes unwell, and the emergency services are given all the space they need by the crowd. The heat is probably a major factor in the incident. A stadium announcer warns about the extreme temperatures and advises everyone to drink enough water. Fortunately, security staff are handing it out around the structures supporting the giant screens. Avatar look completely at home on the huge stage, and their experience shines through in every moment. The audience responds enthusiastically and goes absolutely wild. The Dirt I’m Buried In, but especially the closing Hail The Apocalypse, receive thunderous applause, and rightly so, because the members of Avatar run around the stage like madmen, only stopping occasionally for some intense headbanging, to hold their guitars high in the air, or to strike a tough pose. Without a doubt, they won over plenty of new fans tonight.
After a short changeover break, Pantera are allowed to take over the proverbial baton, and they are clearly eager to do so because they start five minutes early. Like a pack of young dogs that have been locked in a cage for too long, the four gentlemen storm the stage. While on Friday night 99% of the crowd wore Metallica shirts, that percentage is slightly lower on Sunday, and many of those shirts feature a Pantera logo. Tonight, no fewer than four legends stand on stage, because original Pantera members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown are joined by none other than Zakk Wylde (ex-Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society) and Charlie Benante (Anthrax). With such a rhythm section, a charismatic guitarist, and the boundless energy of Anselmo, the performance is already a success before it even begins. Anselmo, barefoot, screams his lungs out and does an excellent job of whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
When the mighty Mouth For War kicks in after A New Level, the stadium nearly reaches boiling point. Phil Anselmo announces that tonight is Pantera’s very first show in eight months. That probably explains why the intro to This Love goes wrong. Anselmo humorously solved the mistake by immediately telling the audience: “I told you it’s our first gig back. Pretend that didn’t happen, watch this,” after which the band flawlessly restarts the iconic ballad. The audience easily forgives Pantera. Then, when Phil Anselmo commands “play that riff” and Walk begins, the stadium practically explodes. Throughout the performance, Anselmo constantly runs across the stage, and halfway through the show Benante moves to the other side of the stage, allowing Pantera to make smart use of the entire platform. With the legendary Cowboys From Hell, Pantera bring their set to a fantastic close.
Tonight, the audience is noticeably louder than on Friday. That becomes obvious even before the show starts, when a couple of Black Sabbath covers are played over the PA system and are completely drowned out by the first and second tiers of the stadium, which start a wave while sparing none of their vocal cords. Once again, goosebumps run down my arms and neck when the AC/DC intro blasts through the speakers. Naturally, this transitions into the well-known Ennio Morricone‘s The Ecstacy of Gold , followed by a Metallica performance for which superlatives like “legendary” and “iconic” simply fall short. They kick off with Whiplash from Kill ’Em All, and the entire stadium sings along. Without any further introduction, Rob Trujillo then launches into the intro of For Whom The Bell Tolls. James lets the audience handle part of the chorus, and they certainly know what to do with it! It brings huge smiles to the faces of all the band members!! Two surprises then follow in the form of The Shortest Straw and Until It Sleeps. These songs have definitely not been regular parts of the setlist in recent years, which makes it even more special to witness them tonight.
After that comes a song from Metallica’s most recent album: Lux Æterna. Once again, the roof proverbially comes off the place. After this, James and Kirk get a short break as it’s time for another Rob and Kirk Doodle. Tonight, they choose a classic by the German band Accept in the form of Fast As A Shark, during which it is noticeable that the bass guitar is mixed much louder than the guitar. Following a short announcement in which James Hetfield says that it’s okay to seek help when life gets heavy and that we are all part of the Metallica family, Fade To Black is played.
Foto: Tim Saccenti
The intro to Wherever I May Roam comes from a tape, but when Kirk Hammett and the rest of the band kick into the song, this track too is sung along to almost word for word. After this, the four gentlemen seem to want to give the audience’s vocal cords a bit of rest, because the instrumental The Call Of Ktulu is played almost in its entirety. It is followed by The Unforgiven, during which it becomes clear that Hetfield’s voice is in excellent shape these days. Metallica also know how to put their own spin on cover songs, and tonight they do so with Whiskey In The Jar, where it stands out how loudly the audience sings along with the legendary and recognizable guitar melody.
After that, Metallica once again demonstrates that they used to play pure thrash metal and are still more than capable of delivering it flawlessly with Blackened. The songs from And Justice for All are not the easiest to perform, and Metallica places this track near the end of the set when they have already been giving it their all on the massive stage for well over an hour and a half. It is yet another testament to the band’s exceptional form. Moth Into Flame is followed by a barrage of gunfire sounds, the noise of a helicopter, and bursts of fireworks. Hetfield launches into the intro of One, and if there were still a roof on the stadium, it would surely be blown off now. The final song of the evening is the hit Enter Sandman. As the giant beach balls are released into the crowd, they even manage to reach the first tier of the stadium tonight. It’s a shame that a few troublemakers try to confiscate them and let the air out so they can take them home as souvenirs. Fortunately, the friendly security staff step in gently, and everything ends well.
Foto: Tim Saccenti
Both the band and the audience jump around with unrestrained energy during the final song, and there is nothing to suggest that the four members of Metallica are approaching retirement age. After another two-hour performance, the stage lights go out and Metallica disappears beneath the stage, only to return a few minutes later to thank the crowd. It is not a perfunctory gesture, but a heartfelt “thank you for all your support tonight and throughout the years.”
And with that, this no-repeat weekend unfortunately comes to an end. Those in attendance can look back on two outstanding concerts, making it almost irrelevant whether they attended one night or the entire weekend. Metallica has been delivering quality on CD and vinyl for decades, but tonight they once again prove that they are at their very best when performing live.
Also read the report from day 1!
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