James Hetfield likes the look of Metallica’s most devoted fans
FOR ALL THE pageantry and bombast we’ve come to expect from Metallica, there is something incredibly candid and intimate about their 40th Anniversary celebrations. Effectively taking over their old stomping ground of San Francisco, fans were given the opportunity to partake in everything from tastings of Blackened whiskey to screenings of past concert videos, live Q&As and even attending the premiere of the new Matrix, capped off with two special live performances at the 18,000-capacity Chase Center.
Those unable to make the coveted trip were offered some solace at least, able to tune in and watch the band’s performances via Amazon Prime over the Christmas period – truly a thing to incite goodwill amongst all men. The streams themselves are two-thirds concert video, with a smattering of documentary-style nostalgia sprinkled in – including spoken-word intros from Tom Morello and Jason Momoa over The Ecstasy Of Gold – to truly hone-in on why Metallica have been so important for the last four decades.
Be under no illusion: this is a Metallica show, no two ways about it. Blasts of pyro punctuate the set and the multi-screen set-up above the band boasts the stunning, occasionally mind-warping visuals familiar to anyone who caught the band on their Hardwired tour. But for all those arena-sized metal trappings, the camerawork ensures that the focus always remains on the four men onstage and their not-inconsiderable arsenal of heavy metal anthems.