Dragging Home This Heathen Harvest

A diary of my experience during Metallica’s M72 World Tour stop at MetLife Stadium in August 2023

MetLife Stadium feels like the epicenter of the 2023 mega tour season. It started with the “You can send your kids to see Taylor, or you can send them to college someday, but you can’t afford both” extravaganza in May. It was followed by some prick named Ed Sheeran in June who broke the MetLife attendance record with a crowd of 89,000. Beyoncé followed in July. The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen is going to round things out over Labor Day weekend.

But all these shows combined could not match the level of intensity of the two shows Metallica played on August 4^th and 6^th at MetLife Stadium. Therefore, this is the only non-travel blog in my Metallica M72 World Tour series because Metallica brough the show to me.

There is something exciting about Metallica coming to the area you live in. They do not just show up and play, they take over the area for four days. They promote Blackened American Whiskey happy hours and events, host a film festival of Metallica related content, promote concerts for bands that their kids are in, and open pop-up stores with all the Metallica merchandise you could want. So, of course I bought half of the inventory at the pop-up store at the American Dream Mall the day before the first show.

The most important thing to me about Metallica playing at home is getting to attend with my friends. It is a great excuse to get together, and it gives us an event that we will tell stories about for decades to come. In fact, we were telling stories about getting guitar picks at a Metallica show at the old Izod Center in 2003 while we were at the show this year.

Most of us had general admission tickets, and with as many people as I had going with me, it was a logistical exercise in herding kittens to get everyone in the same place at the same time. It started off in the afternoon on Friday, a bunch of us blew off work early, piled into my car, and went to the Blackened American Whiskey and WFAN pre-party at Redd’s in Carlstadt. Others partied at a local brewery; others drank on the NJ Transit Train on the way to the stadium.

After the pre-gaming was done, we shot over to the stadium, waited for Joe to get off the train, and headed in. Bobby was not one to wait, he went straight inside and scouted out a spot as close to the railing as he could get for us. We made it inside and then I had to text half a dozen people with our approximate location. I looked up and saw a banner for Larry Grantham who had his #60 retired by the Jets so I told everyone to look for that sign and meet us between that and the stage.

It turned out to be a pretty good spot, it was right at the main entrance for the band members. First up was Mammoth and we caught a good view of Wolfgang Van Halen’s mother, Valerie Bertinelli who accompanied him to the stage.

Mammoth was a lot of fun to watch. Wolfie has rock and roll genes, and he puts in the effort to prove he belongs on stage.

Next up was Pantera. I haven’t seen them since about 1999 before they broke up and when the Abbott brothers were still alive and well.

Phil Anselmo walked on stage and milled about for a bit before the show started. He took his shoes off and performed the entire set barefoot.

Zakk Wylde walked right in front of us before he went on stage. Zakk is the 5^th greatest guitar player of all time and one of my favorite rock stars ever. I’ve seen him with Ozzy Osbourne, his own band Black Label Society, and Generation Axe. This was my first time seeing him with Pantera. He is the only guitar player in the world that is an acceptable substitute for Dimebag Darrell.

Pantera hit the stage and crushed their set. It will always be a strange feeling to see Pantera play without the Abbott brothers, but Charlie Benante and Zakk filled in the gaps admirably. Pantera was one of the best opening bands I’ve ever seen for Metallica.

Pantera finished up and anticipation started to build. People that I had texted earlier kept filing in. We could barely contain our excitement.

The lights went out and “Long Way to The Top” by AC/DC hit the speakers. It was time for Metallica to start and I thought my head was going to explode. Metallica walked through the aisle toward the donut-shaped stage and Lars Ulrich, the greatest drummer in history, stopped right in front of us.

Once the traditional opening song “Ecstasy of Gold” was finished, the excitement in the stadium was at fever pitch.  The band took the stage, and bam! They started right off with my favorite live Metallica song “Creeping Death”! I, along with the frenzied MetLife Stadium crowd of over 80,000, started singing along to every word.

Fifteen songs followed through a blistering set that spanned Metallica’s entire career. There was a heavy dose of classics such as “Harvester of Sorrow”, “Holier Than Thou”, “Battery” and others that we all grew up with. They also played three songs from the new album “72 Seasons”, including the live debut of “Shadows Follow”.

James Hetfield is a superbly talented front man. He held the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire night. He compelled us to chant “Temptation” during “If Darkness Had a Son”. He acknowledged his 60^th birthday just the night before the show as he prepared to play “Fade to Black”.

There is a genuine element to Metallica that helps them to connect with the audience. Kirk Hammett made a mistake during the intro to “Nothing Else Matters” but he laughed it off and started over and he nailed it. Nobody seemed to be upset about it. Robert Trujillo held down the bass line and backing vocals like the seasoned veteran that he is.

The stage setup is massive for this tour, and it is very difficult to take everything in. There was smoke, fire, lights, a snake pit, and a beach ball drop. Lars used four different rotating drumkits at different points of the stage throughout the show. We had a great vantage point when the band was right in front of us but had a hard time seeing them when they wandered elsewhere on the stage.

With “Master of Puppets”, the show came to an end. We were excited, exhausted, and left wanting more. We dove to the floor as the band showered us with guitar picks. I did not manage to grab one, but Pooch got two and gave me one of his. What a guy!

Saturday was a day of rest for the band in between shows. I put on my finest Metallica t-shirt from the European leg of the tour and went to Manhattan with Susan to run some errands and see Bobby and his kids. Susan and I were in Eataly, and someone saw my shirt and told me he was at the show the previous night, too. We traded Metallica stories for a bit. As we walked around town, I spotted people who looked like tourists in Metallica apparel. They really did take over the whole area.

Sunday was a bit less hectic getting to the stadium. We left early to be there because I hired a friend BBQ-By-Bear to cater our tailgate. Bear is a grill master who routinely caters tailgates at MetLife Stadium events, and he was the right man for the job.

Bear got to the stadium right when the parking lot opened and found a great spot right by the entrance to the stadium to set up. We started to filter in as food was ready on the grill. It was a perfect day for a tailgate and excitement was once again building for the show.

This time we were on different agendas for when to go inside and where to stand. Ned, Sue, and their kids wanted to get inside for both opening acts, so they went back to the Larry Grantham spot early. Chris was unsatisfied with the view from that spot, so he went in by himself to get another vantage point.

A handful of us went in before Five Finger Death Punch went on to try to scout a different spot with a better view and settled on a different location where the stage was lower. I am not a FFDP fan and was not overly impressed with the show. They were slightly better than my low expectations.

The canned music routine to start the Metallica set was the same as on Friday. Metallica hit the stage and tore into “Whiplash”, and it was on! Bobby was especially excited, that is one of his favorite songs to see live. They went right into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and the crowd nearly lost it. This was such a hot opening that I used up nearly all the energy I had on the first two songs.

Sunday night followed the same theme of career spanning songs, and as promised was completely unique from Friday’s set. We were treated to the live debut of “Too Far Gone?” which was intermingled with classics like “Ride the Lightning”. Kirk played the solo for “Lux Æterna” right in front of us. While this is far from his best solo, it was mesmerizing to watch a guitar god like him shred right in front of us.

James Hetfield commanded the crowd again. They re-worked “Wherever I May Roam” to pause the instruments so the crowd could sing the hook repeatedly. Giant beach balls fell from the light towers as the band ripped into “Whiskey in The Jar”. I was wiped out when “One” and “Enter Sandman” finished off the set and the show was over. This time, I was able to grab a guitar pick of my own as it hit the floor!

It was a bitter-sweet feeling when the show ended. It was just such an epic weekend that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. It was an exciting feeling to know that Metallica was in town and had taken it over. The shows were breathtaking. Most importantly, as far as I could tell, everyone in my group had an absolute blast.

My plan when the tour was announced was to go to six cities in 2023 and 2024, but the most important two for me were Paris and East Rutherford. Everything else is just going to be the cherry on top. Metallica may be done with my home state, but next up for me is a road trip to Montreal to see them do it all over again!

My M72 World Tour itinerary

	Show #	Date	Venue	City
Complete	1	5/17/2023	Stade de France	Saint-Denis, France
	2	5/19/2023	Stade de France	Saint-Denis, France
	3	8/4/2023	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ
	4	8/6/2023	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ
Upcoming	5	8/11/2023	Stade Olympique	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
	6	8/13/2023	Stade Olympique	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
	7	9/1/2023	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ
	8	9/3/2023	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ
	9	7/12/2024	Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano	Madrid, Spain
	10	7/14/2024	Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano	Madrid, Spain
	11	8/2/2024	Gilette Stadium	Foxborough, MA
	12	8/4/2024	Gilette Stadium	Foxborough, MA

My lifetime Metallica concert history

1	4/8/1992	Brendan Byrne Arena	East Rutherford, NJ	Wherever We May Roam
2	7/17/1998	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Poor Retouring Me
3	11/24/1998	Roseland Ballroom	New York, NY	Garage Barrage
4	11/23/1999	Madison Square Garden	New York, NY	S&M
5	7/20/2000	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Summer Sanitarium
6	7/8/2003	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Summer Sanitarium 2003
7	4/20/2004	Nassau Coliseum	Uniondale, NY	Madly In Anger With The World
8	10/22/2004	Continental Airlines Arena	East Rutherford, NJ	Madly In Anger With The World
9	1/17/2009	Wachovia Center	Philadelphia, PA	World Magnetic
10	1/31/2009	Prudential Center	Newark, NJ	World Magnetic
11	2/1/2009	Prudential Center	Newark, NJ	World Magnetic
12	11/14/2009	Madison Square Garden	New York, NY	World Magnetic
13	11/15/2009	Madison Square Garden	New York, NY	World Magnetic
14	9/14/2011	Yankee Stadium	New York, NY	The Big 4
15	6/23/2012	Bader Field	Atlantic City, NJ	Orion Music + More
16	6/24/2012	Bader Field	Atlantic City, NJ	Orion Music + More
17	5/12/2017	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Worldwired
18	5/14/2017	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Worldwired
19	5/17/2017	The New Coliseum Presented by NYCV	Uniondale, NY	Worldwired
20	7/19/2017	Parc Jean-Drapeau	Montreal, QC	Worldwired
21	10/20/2018	Bryce Jordan Center	State College, PA	Worldwired
22	10/25/2018	Wells Fargo Center	Philadelphia, PA	Worldwired
23	9/6/2019	Chase Center	San Francisco, CA	S&M2
24	9/24/2021	Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center	Louisville, KY	Louder Than Life
25	9/25/2021	Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center	Louisville, KY	Louder Than Life
26	5/29/2022	Harvard Athletic Complex	Boston, MA	Boston Calling
27	8/11/2022	Highmark Stadium	Buffalo, NY	(none)
28	5/17/2023	Stade de France	Saint-Dennis, FR	M72 World Tour
29	5/19/2023	Stade de France	Saint-Dennis, FR	M72 World Tour
30	8/4/2023	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	M72 World Tour
31	8/6/2023	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	M72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

Song	Times Seen
72 Seasons	2
Battery	2
Blackened	2
Creeping Death	2
Enter Sandman	2
Fade To Black	2
For Whom The Bell Tolls	2
Fuel	2
Harvester Of Sorrow	2
Holier Than Thou	2
If Darkness Had A Son	2
King Nothing	2
Lux Æterna	2
Master of Puppets	2
Moth Into Flame	2
Nothing Else Matters	2
One	2
Orion	2
Ride The Lightning	2
Sad But True	2
Seek and Destroy	2
The Call Of Ktulu	2
The Day That Never Comes	2
The Unforgiven	2
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)	2
Wherever I May Roam	2
Whiskey In The Jar	2
You Must Burn!	2
Cyanide	1
I Disappear	1
Screaming Suicide	1
Shadows Follow	1
Sleepwalk My Life Away	1
The Memory Remains	1
Too Far Gone?	1
Whiplash	1
Total:	64
Unique:	36

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

Song	Times Seen
Enter Sandman	27
Nothing Else Matters	27
One	27
Master of Puppets	26
Sad But True	26
Seek and Destroy	23
For Whom the Bell Tolls	21
Creeping Death	18
Fade to Black	17
Fuel	14
Blackened	13
Wherever I May Roam	13
Battery	12
Moth Into Flame	11
The Unforgiven	11
Ride The Lightning	10
The Day That Never Comes	9
The Memory Remains	9
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)	9
Whiplash	9
Harvester of Sorrow	8
Holier Than Thou	8
Cyanide	7
Hardwired	7
Now That We’re Dead	7
Atlas, Rise!	6
Fight Fire With Fire	6
The Four Horsemen	6
Whiskey In The Jar	6
All Nightmare Long	5
Broken, Beat And Scarred	5
Halo On Fire	5
King Nothing	5
No Leaf Clover	5
Of Wolf and Man	5
That Was Just Your Life	5
The Call of Ktulu	5
The End Of The Line	5
Breadfan	4
Hit The Lights	4
Last Caress	4
I Disappear	3
Orion	3
St. Anger	3
The God That Failed	3
Through the Never	3
Turn The Page	3
72 Seasons	2
Am I Evil?	2
Bleeding Me	2
Blitzkrieg	2
Die, Die My Darling	2
Don’t Tread On Me	2
Frantic	2
If Darkness Had A Son	2
Last Caress/Green Hell	2
Lux Æterna	2
Motorbreath	2
My Friend Of Misery	2
Overkill	2
The Outlaw Torn	2
The Shortest Straw	2
The Struggle Within	2
The Thing That Should Not Be	2
Trapped Under Ice	2
Until It Sleeps	2
You Must Burn!	2
– Human	1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth	1
…And Justice For All	1
All Within My Hands	1
Confusion	1
Damage Inc.	1
Devil’s Dance	1
Dirty Window	1
Disposable Heroes	1
Dyers Eve	1
Escape	1
Hell And Back	1
Helpless	1
Hero of the Day	1
Iron Foundry	1
Jump In The Fire	1
Justice Medley	1
Killing Time	1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling	1
Low Man’s Lyric	1
Mastertarium	1
Mercyful Fate	1
Metal Militia	1
My Apocalypse	1
No Remorse	1
Phantom Lord	1
Sabbra Cadabra	1
Screaming Suicide	1
Shadows Follow	1
Sleepwalk My Life Away	1
Small Hours	1
So What	1
Spit Out The Bone	1
Stone Cold Crazy	1
The Ecstasy of Gold	1
The Judas Kiss	1
The Prince	1
The Unforgiven III	1
The Wait	1
Too Far Gone?	1
Total	548
Unique	107