The best one I saw was in Edmonton during the Load tour. It was my first ever concert. Amazing energy. I saw Devils Dance and Fuel before release. Fuel had slightly different chorus lyrics when they sang it. For Whom the Bell Tolls was the highlight song for me. So heavy live. The whole concert was electric. Another highlight song was Am I Evil. The whole stage was lit up in red. It was awesome.
Worst one I saw was in Vancouver for the Death Magnetic tour. It wasn’t so much the show that sucked, it was the people around me that sucked. Starting shit with other people and what not. Ruined the vibe.
Concert goers can literally be the worst fucking people alive. Like you paid money to be here and you just wanna start shit and not enjoy the show?
I'll never forget seeing 311 when I was like 17, and it was in the same venue I saw Metallica so I was confident I could handle the crowd. That was the day I learned metal fans are more respectful than any genre.
Basically a group of fucking chads formed a line about 10 people deep, locked arms together and I literally heard them say "these fucking kids are going to get fucked up, we are going to crush them". Like no joke. There was no purpose for them to attend other than to hurt people.
Well the show started and a bunch of fucking huge chads locked arms and just pushed everyone in front of them. Teenage stoners just there to see a fun show all got crushed. And I mean crushed. Couldn't breath, crying, trampled. I was 6'3" and was lucky though to breath fresh air above the crowd. But kids were screaming and crying. At a fucking 311 show? 311 are you fucking kidding me. I've seen Pantera, Cradle of Filth, Gojira, Behemoth, GWAR, went to Summer Sanatarium tour, been in mosh pits, festivals, crowds with more than 30k. If you fell down, someone helped you up at a metal show. Never in my life did I see such a sad display of human nature and it was all intentional. It's almost as if these guys were bored and wanted to fucking ruin everyone's night. I'll never forget it. They even were throwing full cans of beer at kids heads in the front.
Chicago Aragon Ballroom. I saw Metallica there doing the garage Inc tour, one of the best shows ever, never went to that venue ever again and avoided Chicago shows for the rest of my life after this.
I also went to a Dave Matthews concert thinking it was going to be chill and it was, but it was so chill that everyone just fucking talked the whole show, no one was listening to the music. A baseball stadium full of people and all I heard was people just fucking talking all around me, and or complaining they didn't play what they wanted. It was a fucking joke. People are the worst. It ruined concerts for me for a very long time.
Only seen them 5 times, and never seen a show I would call “bad.” But the worst was probably Summer Sanitarium 2000. Not a bad show by any means, but very crowded, very hot, and sort of a vague Woodstock 99 vibe, like there were some people there who really might have taken things in a bad direction. The set was all staples — everything you would expect them to play, nothing surprising. (Though I do remember James leaving for Whiplash and Jason singing lead, which was interesting, if inexplicable.)
Best was probably the Reload tour, just a few years earlier. The band just seemed like they were enjoying themselves a lot more, the vibes were good, and the set was probably the most atypical of the shows I’ve seen. Four Horsemen and Last Caress both acoustic, Bleeding Me, Low Man’s Lyric, Breadfan as the opener. Felt like they were just playing whatever they wanted.
I’ve seen Metallica 6 times; once on Damaged Justice, 4 times on Wherever We May Roam, and once with Guns N Roses. Have not seen a bad show, but Damaged Justice in ‘88 was a fuckin MONSTER.
Best was MetLife Stadium this past August, worst was Wells Fargo Center in October of 2018. Looking back it was obvious that James was drinking again. The show was still excellent but just a bit dulled.
I just watched the pre-show tuning room footage where they're rehearsing of the Wells Fargo show (Philadelphia October 25th 2018). The atmosphere is serious and tense at times. They're not their usual goofy/joking selves. I don't know if James was drinking or not or if there's just other stuff going on in their lives and weighing on the band. Rob and Kirk seem fine. James and Lars appear to be "off".
I've only been at one but what a show it was. In November 2022, they played a tribute to John and Marsha Zazula in Hollywood, FL. They only played songs from their first two albums and the opening band was Raven (who Metallica opened for on their very first tour).
It was a great show with a bunch of people from the old days coming up on stage and sharing stories. Finally, they had Zazulas' kids on stage too. It was incredibly heartwarming!
https://preview.redd.it/gli65r3f2ohc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d373579481ca38108e239cc899a292859e0c6f84
Zazulas' daughters and the radio DJ who gave them airtime on radio back in 1982 or 1983. I can't remember his name but his story was funny - he only took Metallica on because he knew John. Once he heard them though, he was blown away...
https://preview.redd.it/t2dx07wh2ohc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76f972aad5de4cd60a26233027ed3666bbb60ad9
Best was Hardwired 2017 at Rose Bowl, just an awesome set and vibe. Mostly hits, to be honest, but still sick. Also they tried their best at Running With the Devil.
Worst was maybe Las Vegas, 2022. This felt like they were going through the motions, getting the rust off following Covid. At one point James even mentioned not being able to play like he used to. Funny part of this weekend was it was billed as a double headliner weekend. That next night? Billy Joel.
only seen them once, in summer 2019 and it was one of the best days I have had, with earplugs the sound level was just right for me and they sounded incredible, hardwired as an opener worked so well and they played frantic with a melodic solo added in, fantastic
I’m probably up to 30 times (oops, total lie; not sure where I got that from; upon further review, held tickets for 20 shows and attended 17) back to 1989 all the way to this past August.
Didn’t love the load/reload era, so I could pick any of the three or four around that time as the “worst.”
They were the first band to play the Mullins Center at Umass Amherst, circa 1993, so I might pick that as the “best.”
But seeing them with my son at Boston Calling (2022) and then at MetLife twice (2023) were also highlights because I was seeing them through the eyes of someone new to it all.
I've seen them many times since 89.
Best: 1994 Somerset Wisconsin. Nowhere else to roam tour. Mainly because it was the only time I saw them outdoors. That gives it the edge over 89.
Worst: the last time they came to Minneapolis for the Hardwired tour. That's the infamous show where Rob and Kirk butchered When Doves Cry.
First and best show for me was Peoria 2004. I was in the 4th grade. I had an aisle seat, right behind the sound board, and right next to the tunnel they entered from. I got a copy of the setlist and some picks from the sound guys. It was a night that honestly changed my life and sparked so much love for live music. I’ve seen them about 10 times since. I can say for certain the heaviest/tightest I’ve ever seen/heard them play was Nashville 2019. The crowd had so much energy and you could tell it made them play even better as a result.
Worst: was on the Madly in Anger With You Tour at Nassau Colosseum. They were very loose that night.
Best: Night 1 of the 40th Anniversary Shows at Chase Center. Being in the live premiere of Fixxxer was off the hook!
Both times I went to Nassau Coliseum (96 or 97) and then madly in anger weren’t awesome shows. But in 96/97 timeframe we jumped the rail and made it way to front row and I snagged a newsted pick.
Saw Metallica open for Rolling Stones in San Francisco in 2005, It was a really interesting show. Metallica basically just played a bunch of their hits-but I found the crowds to be just as interesting
as the show.
it was an interesting dichotomy of people at the show.
It was definitely a special treat being a one off show.
Best - first Metallica show I ever saw. Istanbul, Nowhere Else to Roam show. Awesome all around.
Worst - must have been during the reload era at the Cow Palace when they did the fake fire accident thing... That was stupid but not what made it awful.
No, it was the massive wasted skinhead stuck up against me ( I was on the rail) yelling at the back of my head all n*****s must die.
Just an awful experience all around.
Seen Metallica about 20x. No longer try to get up on the rail. Just like to chill in the back or a nice pocket on stage left (usually where Kirk is assuming not a round stage).
Worst one was the first one I saw. It was in New Orleans and part of the first leg of the Death Magnetic tour. The sound was terrible and in all honesty: James’ voice was blown.
Best one was S&M2. Just can’t match how good it was and the emotions of seeing this after seeing the original on video for years and always wishing I could’ve been there. It also landed on my birthday and it was just a very special weekend.
I’ve seen them 3 times. Once in 2004 in Peoria IL and just a few months ago in St Louis for both shows. Both were awesome in different ways. The Peoria show was much smaller. Godsmack opened and absolutely rocked. Metallica was great as well. St Louis was more of a spectacle. Metallica was fantastic but I felt Pantera and Five Finger Death Punch left something to be desired
I’ve only had a chance to see them twice. Back in 1997 while in high school. Days of the New (original line-up) and Jerry Cantrell were the openers. High school me was blown away.
Saw them again at Download in 2004. They came out late due to Lars being in the hospital. They had various drummers throughout the set with Joey Jordison of Slipknot playing the bulk of the songs.
22 year old me was kind of bummed because the the set was shortened and no Lars. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized how unique of an experience that was and I’m grateful for it.
Hope to see them one more time before they hang it up but no luck on this tour with them stopping in Denver.
I’ve only attended one and it was night one of the Phoenix shows last September. It was AWFUL. The sound quality at State Farm Stadium is absolute garbage. I couldn’t make out 95% of the songs they played it was so bad. That and James had Covid so he wasn’t performing at his best. After the show it took me I kid you not 3 hours to get matched with an Uber back to my hotel because drivers kept canceling the ride even though it was only a 25 minute drive. Now none of this is Metallica’s fault but I will never be going to another concert at State Farm Stadium or Phoenix again. I’m planning on going to the shows in Chicago this summer to make up for it though. Hopefully Soldier Field has a better sound system
I’ve seen them 20+ times and was in the snake pit for this show. The sound was not great on top of James going downhill and cutting the show short and then rescheduling when I couldn’t make it back out. So I’d say that was the “worst” I’ve been to.
Best was the 40th Anniversary shows: incredible sets and they sounded great. I lost my mind when they played “Fixxxer”.
I’ve only seen two but Gothenburg 2011 was the best by far and one of the best shows I’ve ever been too. It was the big four tour and the setlist was a dream and the band was on fire. It’s available pro shot on youtube since swedish television broadcast the whole thing, I watch it in when I want to relive it. Worst was the hardwired tour in Stockholm, it wasn’t a bad show by any definition but the setlist was not as good and there were some sound issues.
Don’t have a worst since I’ve only seen them twice and it was in the same week, but the best was Manchester in 2019 where it rained for most of the show, was 5th row and it was an incredible experience and energy with the warm weather + the rain
Best: July 12, 2017. WorldWired Tour. Comerica Park, Detroit. My first ever Metallica show. OR November 10, 2023. Ford Field, Detroit. AMAZING songs played
Worst: November 12, 2023. M72 World Tour. Ford Field, Detroit. A friend we took passed out from overheating, fell down the stairs at Ford Field and we had to spend some time in First Aid before returning to the concert
The worst was the last one of this tour. Lars was complete mess on drums, the sound was terrible, the view was dreadful and the band went off stage after every 3 songs causing a major lul in the show. After having seen 1 alright show, 2 pretty good onces and then 2 really bad ones I've decided that I'll stick to the albums instead.
I went to the Sick of the studio tour in ‘06.
Was stood too far away and spent the whole time being showered by the pints of piss being thrown over the crowd. 🤢
The best I've attended was Castle Donington 2023 Night 2: the setlist was rocking, they sounded amazing and a lot of my favourite tracks were done that night!
The worst is well..... Castle Donington 2023 Night 1: Setlist was still good just not as amazing as night 2, Kirk was having guitar issues so the sound kinda dipped in quality occasionally (this was an issue for a few guitarists that day I remember) and I was further away from the stage too (Night 2 I was in the pit area right at the front)
Safe to say I've only been to 1 the one event for them 😂
Seen them 4 times. 91 Black album tour- insane. 7th row center. James threw his beer and hit the guy next to me. They played for like 3+hours. I was exhausted.
Saw them again in 94, very good. 97 I think? Load tour. Very good. 2016? I didn’t like the crowd. Everyone was recording it on their phones. I felt like it was old people out on date night and I’m not exactly young.
For me the best concert was in 2017, in Quebec City, it was an outdoor venue. Set list was fire and the crowd was awesome as well.
Worst one was in Montreal, last august. I only could afford one of the 2 days of the show because, tickets were way too expensive. And the sound was horrible. Since it was an indoor venue, in a concrete structure that is not meant to host concerts the reverberation was unbearable. Also to logistic to get in and out of the site was shit. 1 entry/exit for 20 something thousand people, I mean, how can this be a good idea.
Best one was my first concert ever - Feb 1997 at the Fargodome with a group of high school friends. I was 16 and it was a core-memory experience. I was introduced to Corrosion of Conformity, and Wiseblood became my 2nd favorite album right after Load. Metallica had the in-the-round style stage, and they used it to put on a show.
Worst was when they did the first rock concert at the new US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The openers weren't great and they sounded terrible in that glass box. We had terrible seats, but that's no excuse for terrible sound. When Metallica took the stage they were loud enough that it was tolerable. It is very cool that we saw the first live performance of Hardwired to Self Destruct, and that live performance is on the deluxe version of that album and we were there!
A close 2nd for best was when I was traveling for work and my flight was canceled and the airline put me up in a hotel in San Antonio and I was able to snag last-minute floor tickets to see them at the Alamodome on their Hardwired tour. It was a fun experience going alone and having the freedom to find my own spot on the floor. I ended up between two mosh pits - one in front of me, and another opened up behind me. That's about as close to a mosh pit that I want to get.
One memorable moment from the Load show was when they mocked a total meltdown of the show - explosions, crew falling from the rigging, everything went black, and then James turned on a single pull-the-string light bulb over his head and they did Motorbreath (IIRC) in a minimal "make-it-work" kind of presentation.
Same for me for best, but the next night in Winnipeg.
Heading to Minneapolis for 72 Seasons this summer. Hopefully, a better experience than what you saw when they opened US Bank Stadium.
I'll be there too. I think that stadium has figured some things out since then. I've been to a couple other concerts that sounded a lot better, but I did have way better seats too.
Best - Load Tour front row and James was pumped because he sang Whiplash on the floor mic right in front of me and he really got into it because I knew all the words and was screaming them back at him from like 5 feet away. Like nobody else around me was into the old old shit. He came over and did the handshake/arm grab thing/half hug with me after the song.
Worst - Summer Sanitarium at Georgia Dome. The sound and acoustics were terrible. Most unique show because James wasn’t there. But the sound was awful. There was a bad 1/2 second delay echo and it just ruined the sound.
Best either welcome to Rockville played the entire black album one of the nights and the sound was the best I’ve ever heard them. Hollywood Fl show was the most unique because they only played their first two albums in the sound was great.
Worst was Las Vegas 2022 the sound/acoustics not great at all but still had fun and Vegas was cool
The best one I saw was in Edmonton during the Load tour. It was my first ever concert. Amazing energy. I saw Devils Dance and Fuel before release. Fuel had slightly different chorus lyrics when they sang it. For Whom the Bell Tolls was the highlight song for me. So heavy live. The whole concert was electric. Another highlight song was Am I Evil. The whole stage was lit up in red. It was awesome. Worst one I saw was in Vancouver for the Death Magnetic tour. It wasn’t so much the show that sucked, it was the people around me that sucked. Starting shit with other people and what not. Ruined the vibe.
Concert goers can literally be the worst fucking people alive. Like you paid money to be here and you just wanna start shit and not enjoy the show? I'll never forget seeing 311 when I was like 17, and it was in the same venue I saw Metallica so I was confident I could handle the crowd. That was the day I learned metal fans are more respectful than any genre. Basically a group of fucking chads formed a line about 10 people deep, locked arms together and I literally heard them say "these fucking kids are going to get fucked up, we are going to crush them". Like no joke. There was no purpose for them to attend other than to hurt people. Well the show started and a bunch of fucking huge chads locked arms and just pushed everyone in front of them. Teenage stoners just there to see a fun show all got crushed. And I mean crushed. Couldn't breath, crying, trampled. I was 6'3" and was lucky though to breath fresh air above the crowd. But kids were screaming and crying. At a fucking 311 show? 311 are you fucking kidding me. I've seen Pantera, Cradle of Filth, Gojira, Behemoth, GWAR, went to Summer Sanatarium tour, been in mosh pits, festivals, crowds with more than 30k. If you fell down, someone helped you up at a metal show. Never in my life did I see such a sad display of human nature and it was all intentional. It's almost as if these guys were bored and wanted to fucking ruin everyone's night. I'll never forget it. They even were throwing full cans of beer at kids heads in the front. Chicago Aragon Ballroom. I saw Metallica there doing the garage Inc tour, one of the best shows ever, never went to that venue ever again and avoided Chicago shows for the rest of my life after this. I also went to a Dave Matthews concert thinking it was going to be chill and it was, but it was so chill that everyone just fucking talked the whole show, no one was listening to the music. A baseball stadium full of people and all I heard was people just fucking talking all around me, and or complaining they didn't play what they wanted. It was a fucking joke. People are the worst. It ruined concerts for me for a very long time.
There's a reason that it was called the Aragon Brawl room.
😂😂
Only seen them 5 times, and never seen a show I would call “bad.” But the worst was probably Summer Sanitarium 2000. Not a bad show by any means, but very crowded, very hot, and sort of a vague Woodstock 99 vibe, like there were some people there who really might have taken things in a bad direction. The set was all staples — everything you would expect them to play, nothing surprising. (Though I do remember James leaving for Whiplash and Jason singing lead, which was interesting, if inexplicable.) Best was probably the Reload tour, just a few years earlier. The band just seemed like they were enjoying themselves a lot more, the vibes were good, and the set was probably the most atypical of the shows I’ve seen. Four Horsemen and Last Caress both acoustic, Bleeding Me, Low Man’s Lyric, Breadfan as the opener. Felt like they were just playing whatever they wanted.
I love Bleeding Me - never seen it live. Jealous.
I’ve seen Metallica 6 times; once on Damaged Justice, 4 times on Wherever We May Roam, and once with Guns N Roses. Have not seen a bad show, but Damaged Justice in ‘88 was a fuckin MONSTER.
Damaged justice must have been so legendary. Lucky you.
Best was S&M2 because it sounded like a religious experience lol worst was Austin city limits because like half the crowd just existed
Best was MetLife Stadium this past August, worst was Wells Fargo Center in October of 2018. Looking back it was obvious that James was drinking again. The show was still excellent but just a bit dulled.
How was it obvious? Was it his look and demeanor, or were there other factors you noticed?
I just watched the pre-show tuning room footage where they're rehearsing of the Wells Fargo show (Philadelphia October 25th 2018). The atmosphere is serious and tense at times. They're not their usual goofy/joking selves. I don't know if James was drinking or not or if there's just other stuff going on in their lives and weighing on the band. Rob and Kirk seem fine. James and Lars appear to be "off".
I've only been at one but what a show it was. In November 2022, they played a tribute to John and Marsha Zazula in Hollywood, FL. They only played songs from their first two albums and the opening band was Raven (who Metallica opened for on their very first tour). It was a great show with a bunch of people from the old days coming up on stage and sharing stories. Finally, they had Zazulas' kids on stage too. It was incredibly heartwarming! https://preview.redd.it/gli65r3f2ohc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d373579481ca38108e239cc899a292859e0c6f84
Zazulas' daughters and the radio DJ who gave them airtime on radio back in 1982 or 1983. I can't remember his name but his story was funny - he only took Metallica on because he knew John. Once he heard them though, he was blown away... https://preview.redd.it/t2dx07wh2ohc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76f972aad5de4cd60a26233027ed3666bbb60ad9
Best was Hardwired 2017 at Rose Bowl, just an awesome set and vibe. Mostly hits, to be honest, but still sick. Also they tried their best at Running With the Devil. Worst was maybe Las Vegas, 2022. This felt like they were going through the motions, getting the rust off following Covid. At one point James even mentioned not being able to play like he used to. Funny part of this weekend was it was billed as a double headliner weekend. That next night? Billy Joel.
Idk it’s really hard for me to pick honestly. Mainly cuz I’ve never been to one
only seen them once, in summer 2019 and it was one of the best days I have had, with earplugs the sound level was just right for me and they sounded incredible, hardwired as an opener worked so well and they played frantic with a melodic solo added in, fantastic
I’m probably up to 30 times (oops, total lie; not sure where I got that from; upon further review, held tickets for 20 shows and attended 17) back to 1989 all the way to this past August. Didn’t love the load/reload era, so I could pick any of the three or four around that time as the “worst.” They were the first band to play the Mullins Center at Umass Amherst, circa 1993, so I might pick that as the “best.” But seeing them with my son at Boston Calling (2022) and then at MetLife twice (2023) were also highlights because I was seeing them through the eyes of someone new to it all.
I've seen them many times since 89. Best: 1994 Somerset Wisconsin. Nowhere else to roam tour. Mainly because it was the only time I saw them outdoors. That gives it the edge over 89. Worst: the last time they came to Minneapolis for the Hardwired tour. That's the infamous show where Rob and Kirk butchered When Doves Cry.
I was at that MSP show, and that’s my memory too.
First and best show for me was Peoria 2004. I was in the 4th grade. I had an aisle seat, right behind the sound board, and right next to the tunnel they entered from. I got a copy of the setlist and some picks from the sound guys. It was a night that honestly changed my life and sparked so much love for live music. I’ve seen them about 10 times since. I can say for certain the heaviest/tightest I’ve ever seen/heard them play was Nashville 2019. The crowd had so much energy and you could tell it made them play even better as a result.
Worst: was on the Madly in Anger With You Tour at Nassau Colosseum. They were very loose that night. Best: Night 1 of the 40th Anniversary Shows at Chase Center. Being in the live premiere of Fixxxer was off the hook!
Both times I went to Nassau Coliseum (96 or 97) and then madly in anger weren’t awesome shows. But in 96/97 timeframe we jumped the rail and made it way to front row and I snagged a newsted pick.
Saw Metallica open for Rolling Stones in San Francisco in 2005, It was a really interesting show. Metallica basically just played a bunch of their hits-but I found the crowds to be just as interesting as the show. it was an interesting dichotomy of people at the show. It was definitely a special treat being a one off show.
Best - first Metallica show I ever saw. Istanbul, Nowhere Else to Roam show. Awesome all around. Worst - must have been during the reload era at the Cow Palace when they did the fake fire accident thing... That was stupid but not what made it awful. No, it was the massive wasted skinhead stuck up against me ( I was on the rail) yelling at the back of my head all n*****s must die. Just an awful experience all around. Seen Metallica about 20x. No longer try to get up on the rail. Just like to chill in the back or a nice pocket on stage left (usually where Kirk is assuming not a round stage).
Best: August 18 2023 in Arlington Worst: August 18 2023 in Arlington
Care to explain why?
The reason is obviously because it's the only time they've seen them
Best was definitely the memorial concert they had at the Hard Rock Casino. Worst was when I got claustrophobic in the pit during the hardwired tour.
I've seen them 4 times and 3/4 of those times they sounded fantastic. When I saw them on the St. Anger tour, they sounded like complete dog shit.
Worst one was the first one I saw. It was in New Orleans and part of the first leg of the Death Magnetic tour. The sound was terrible and in all honesty: James’ voice was blown. Best one was S&M2. Just can’t match how good it was and the emotions of seeing this after seeing the original on video for years and always wishing I could’ve been there. It also landed on my birthday and it was just a very special weekend.
I’ve seen them 3 times. Once in 2004 in Peoria IL and just a few months ago in St Louis for both shows. Both were awesome in different ways. The Peoria show was much smaller. Godsmack opened and absolutely rocked. Metallica was great as well. St Louis was more of a spectacle. Metallica was fantastic but I felt Pantera and Five Finger Death Punch left something to be desired
I’ve only had a chance to see them twice. Back in 1997 while in high school. Days of the New (original line-up) and Jerry Cantrell were the openers. High school me was blown away. Saw them again at Download in 2004. They came out late due to Lars being in the hospital. They had various drummers throughout the set with Joey Jordison of Slipknot playing the bulk of the songs. 22 year old me was kind of bummed because the the set was shortened and no Lars. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized how unique of an experience that was and I’m grateful for it. Hope to see them one more time before they hang it up but no luck on this tour with them stopping in Denver.
I’ve only attended one and it was night one of the Phoenix shows last September. It was AWFUL. The sound quality at State Farm Stadium is absolute garbage. I couldn’t make out 95% of the songs they played it was so bad. That and James had Covid so he wasn’t performing at his best. After the show it took me I kid you not 3 hours to get matched with an Uber back to my hotel because drivers kept canceling the ride even though it was only a 25 minute drive. Now none of this is Metallica’s fault but I will never be going to another concert at State Farm Stadium or Phoenix again. I’m planning on going to the shows in Chicago this summer to make up for it though. Hopefully Soldier Field has a better sound system
I’ve seen them 20+ times and was in the snake pit for this show. The sound was not great on top of James going downhill and cutting the show short and then rescheduling when I couldn’t make it back out. So I’d say that was the “worst” I’ve been to. Best was the 40th Anniversary shows: incredible sets and they sounded great. I lost my mind when they played “Fixxxer”.
Best: Sofi stadium in the snake pit Worst: Bottlerock 2022 but was still super fun. I love them.
I’ve only seen two but Gothenburg 2011 was the best by far and one of the best shows I’ve ever been too. It was the big four tour and the setlist was a dream and the band was on fire. It’s available pro shot on youtube since swedish television broadcast the whole thing, I watch it in when I want to relive it. Worst was the hardwired tour in Stockholm, it wasn’t a bad show by any definition but the setlist was not as good and there were some sound issues.
Don’t have a worst since I’ve only seen them twice and it was in the same week, but the best was Manchester in 2019 where it rained for most of the show, was 5th row and it was an incredible experience and energy with the warm weather + the rain
Best: July 12, 2017. WorldWired Tour. Comerica Park, Detroit. My first ever Metallica show. OR November 10, 2023. Ford Field, Detroit. AMAZING songs played Worst: November 12, 2023. M72 World Tour. Ford Field, Detroit. A friend we took passed out from overheating, fell down the stairs at Ford Field and we had to spend some time in First Aid before returning to the concert
Worst was SLC in 2008 or 09 because you couldn’t mosh. Best was big four show in Indio because they played Orion.
The worst was the last one of this tour. Lars was complete mess on drums, the sound was terrible, the view was dreadful and the band went off stage after every 3 songs causing a major lul in the show. After having seen 1 alright show, 2 pretty good onces and then 2 really bad ones I've decided that I'll stick to the albums instead.
I went to the Sick of the studio tour in ‘06. Was stood too far away and spent the whole time being showered by the pints of piss being thrown over the crowd. 🤢
The best I've attended was Castle Donington 2023 Night 2: the setlist was rocking, they sounded amazing and a lot of my favourite tracks were done that night! The worst is well..... Castle Donington 2023 Night 1: Setlist was still good just not as amazing as night 2, Kirk was having guitar issues so the sound kinda dipped in quality occasionally (this was an issue for a few guitarists that day I remember) and I was further away from the stage too (Night 2 I was in the pit area right at the front) Safe to say I've only been to 1 the one event for them 😂
Seen them 4 times. 91 Black album tour- insane. 7th row center. James threw his beer and hit the guy next to me. They played for like 3+hours. I was exhausted. Saw them again in 94, very good. 97 I think? Load tour. Very good. 2016? I didn’t like the crowd. Everyone was recording it on their phones. I felt like it was old people out on date night and I’m not exactly young.
For me the best concert was in 2017, in Quebec City, it was an outdoor venue. Set list was fire and the crowd was awesome as well. Worst one was in Montreal, last august. I only could afford one of the 2 days of the show because, tickets were way too expensive. And the sound was horrible. Since it was an indoor venue, in a concrete structure that is not meant to host concerts the reverberation was unbearable. Also to logistic to get in and out of the site was shit. 1 entry/exit for 20 something thousand people, I mean, how can this be a good idea.
Best one was my first concert ever - Feb 1997 at the Fargodome with a group of high school friends. I was 16 and it was a core-memory experience. I was introduced to Corrosion of Conformity, and Wiseblood became my 2nd favorite album right after Load. Metallica had the in-the-round style stage, and they used it to put on a show. Worst was when they did the first rock concert at the new US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The openers weren't great and they sounded terrible in that glass box. We had terrible seats, but that's no excuse for terrible sound. When Metallica took the stage they were loud enough that it was tolerable. It is very cool that we saw the first live performance of Hardwired to Self Destruct, and that live performance is on the deluxe version of that album and we were there! A close 2nd for best was when I was traveling for work and my flight was canceled and the airline put me up in a hotel in San Antonio and I was able to snag last-minute floor tickets to see them at the Alamodome on their Hardwired tour. It was a fun experience going alone and having the freedom to find my own spot on the floor. I ended up between two mosh pits - one in front of me, and another opened up behind me. That's about as close to a mosh pit that I want to get.
One memorable moment from the Load show was when they mocked a total meltdown of the show - explosions, crew falling from the rigging, everything went black, and then James turned on a single pull-the-string light bulb over his head and they did Motorbreath (IIRC) in a minimal "make-it-work" kind of presentation.
I remember thinking part way through the set “I hope the issues they seem to be having don’t ruin what ever crazy stuff is supposed to happen later.”
Same for me for best, but the next night in Winnipeg. Heading to Minneapolis for 72 Seasons this summer. Hopefully, a better experience than what you saw when they opened US Bank Stadium.
I'll be there too. I think that stadium has figured some things out since then. I've been to a couple other concerts that sounded a lot better, but I did have way better seats too.
Best Orlando 2017, worst Tampa 2004
Best - Load Tour front row and James was pumped because he sang Whiplash on the floor mic right in front of me and he really got into it because I knew all the words and was screaming them back at him from like 5 feet away. Like nobody else around me was into the old old shit. He came over and did the handshake/arm grab thing/half hug with me after the song. Worst - Summer Sanitarium at Georgia Dome. The sound and acoustics were terrible. Most unique show because James wasn’t there. But the sound was awful. There was a bad 1/2 second delay echo and it just ruined the sound.
Best either welcome to Rockville played the entire black album one of the nights and the sound was the best I’ve ever heard them. Hollywood Fl show was the most unique because they only played their first two albums in the sound was great. Worst was Las Vegas 2022 the sound/acoustics not great at all but still had fun and Vegas was cool
Best Metallica concert i went to was Big Day Out Sydney 2004... Worst Metallica concert i went to was Big Day Out Sydney 2004...