Metallica Concert – Air Canada Centre – October 26, 09
When I was growing up in the 80s and early 90s, Heavy Metal music, for me, was about youthful rebellion. For others, perhaps, it symbolized an outright rejection of society. Attacked in the media for inciting, amongst other events, the Columbine Massacre, Heavy Metal was the scourge of many parents, who tried to protect their kids by not letting them buy the latest albums, put incendiary posters on their bedroom walls, or attend rock concerts. I was a victim of this, having been denied the opportunity to listen to Appetite for Destruction when it was first released. That album, and many others from the era, including Metallica’s Master of Puppets, have become classics. Seeing my Mom dance to “Sweet Child of Mine” at my sister’s wedding recently was a bittersweet moment. She finally understood the greatness of Guns N’ Roses. Well…probably not, but she danced.
The Coffins Descend
Last night at the ACC, I saw one of the legends of my youth, Metallica. Now in his mid forties, front man James Hetfield continues to take a serious and professional approach to being a musician. He is perhaps equally as famous for taking a stand against Napster in the late 90s as he is for being a Heavy Metal god, but his passion for entertaining his fans cannot be denied. When he told the audience, “We’re not here just to make you happy, you are here to make us happy as well”, he meant it. As the audience became louder and sang along to more of the songs, the band thrived. I counted 14 times that Hetfield mentioned Toronto, so he certainly passes the sobriety test. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammet seemed to have the most energy of the four and his unquestioned prowess on the guitar provided for some deafeningly great solos. The only asshole in the band seems to be the drummer, who insisted on spitting water all over the audience during breaks.
For myself, as a Metallica fan but not a follower, I was there to enjoy the atmosphere and to hear the hits. In attendance were a lot of followers, and their love of the band was contagious. Crowd surfing and mosh pits are not something I expected to see at the Air Canada Centre, but there they were. Even Hetfield seemed surprised to see the mosh pit rumbling. Metallica’s songs generally hover in between the good to very good range, but they do have four masterpieces – “Master of Puppets”, “Enter Sandman”, “Nothing Else Matters”, and “Unforgiven” (apologies to “One” and “Search and Destroy”). They played everything but “Unforgiven”. “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” were easily the highlights of the night. When the audience sang along for “Enter Sandman”, they drowned out Hetfield’s voice. That song is made for stadium rock. “Master of Puppets” was equally as impressive. The audience actually started to sing along with the guitar solo; that’s a pretty good indicator of a beloved song.
The stage design was ideal, placing the band at the centre and mikes along the edges, allowing Hetfield and the band to roam freely. They made minimal use of lasers and had quite a fire show at times during the performance. Giant balls of flame burst up about halfway through the show. I was about 75 feet back and could feel the heat. Flashes of Great White in Rhode Island went through my head but this pyrotechnic show seemed to be under control. I was more worried that the four giant coffins that loomed above the band would come loose. These props occasionally dropped lower and showered light into the audience. I am unclear what the coffins were supposed to symbolize, not death, that’s certain. This show was about life, and feeding off its energy. Maybe that’s what the coffins were in place to remind us, that we may be aging metal fans but we’re not dead yet. Now is the time to feel alive. Last night, Metallica gave 20,000 fans that privilege.
In: Concerts, Music · Tagged with: Air Canada Centre, Enter Sandman, Master of Puppets, Metallica
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