Metallica Live in Edmonton Aug.18th 2012

Last night my buddies Hurl, A-Bomb and I went to the Metallica show here in Edmonton at Rexall Place. This was the second of a sold out two night stand. Metallica are only doing 4 shows in Canada this year, two here and two in Vancouver next weekend. All the shows are being filmed for an upcoming 3D Metallica movie.

This was my eighth time seeing Metallica in concert, and yet I still get excited about seeing Metallica, as I grew up on these thrash metal pioneers. Thirty years they have been together now and are still going strong. A-Bomb and Hurl were pretty excited about this show as the last time either one of them had seen Metallica was back in 1992. The last time I saw them was in 2008 when they were touring for the Death Magnetic album.

We got there early as I was expecting a gong show getting into the venue, but it all went rather smooth,no line up, light pat down and in. Plenty early, so lots of time for drinks and get a good position on the floor, with the show being general admission on the floor. We payed no attention to opening band Striker whom are a local metal band.

The show was billed as the Full Arsenal, as in lots of props and flash pods, and there was plenty of both, even lasers too. The stage was massive taking up the whole floor surface, so there wasn't a bad seat in the whole place. An hour after the opening band was done Metallica finally hit the stage to loud applause and a very packed hot and sweaty Coliseum.

Metallica's set started with three of the first four songs coming from the Ride The Lightning album 'Creeping Death' then in to 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', 'Fuel' (from Re-Load) and then the title song 'Ride The Lightning'. Metallica covered all aspects of their career playing a little something from almost all their albums. My favorite part of the show was the three song punch of 'Fade To Black', 'Master Of Puppets' followed by 'Battery', the bangers were going strong now. The band is running on all cylinders, super tight, with all of the members all over the stage, they didn't miss a beat at all. You've got to be a tight band when you are all on and aren't anywhere near each other. Lead singer James Hetfield could easily put away the microphone and let the audience sing the whole show, cause everyone in the crowd was singing word for word with him. A lot of people put down drummer Lars Ulrich for his drumming skills, but I thought he kicked ass, holding down the fort with Rob Trujillo very well. And of course guitarist Kirk Hammet was ripping it up as usual.

What I didn't like about the show was all the props used, each prop represented an album or time period in their thirty year career. I found all the props to be a distraction from the music, that and all the camera people on stage doing the filming for the upcoming movie. But that was to be expected as there were notices letting the fans know that the show was being filmed.

Then there was a part in the show when a supposed light crew guy falls from the lighting rig onto the stage,and at the same time a roadie catches fire. It fooled some people in the audience, as you could hear gasps from a few fans. The band stopped playing like there was an emergency or something, a bit dramatic and whole lot cheesie, or so I thought anyways. But I guess for the film, they are putting on a big production, but I found it needless.

All and all the show was good, they did the same set both nights here, which is unusual for Metallica, but again because of the filming, everything is choreographed. So I would expect Vancouver may have the same sets that we saw here in Edmonton. I have to say I would have enjoyed the show more minus the props and such and just see the band play their music like they did in 2008. Still, was a fun show to be a part of for the two hours they played. Good times!!!!

Setlist for the Edmonton show.

1. Creeping Death
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls
3. Fuel
4. Ride the Lightning
5. One
6. Cyanide
7. The Memory Remains
8. Wherever I May Roam
9. Sad But True
10. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
11. ...And Justice for All
12. Fade to Black
13. Master of Puppets
14. Battery
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. Enter Sandman
Encore
17. Hit the Lights
18. Seek & Destroy

Some pictures I took at the show.

T-shirt front.

Back of t-shirt.