Metallica O2 Arena September 15
A reduced price charity show for hard core fans to co-incide with the new album release. The guys looked remarkably fit given 27 years of well-publicised rock lifestyle and seemed positively chipper. The set was in the round creating an unusually intimate feel for a stadium band. The two hour twenty minute set heavily featured the new album and some of the earlier, thrash rather than later anthemic material. There was no "Fade to Black" or "Unforgiven". But the centre piece was an awesome rendition of "One", "Until it Sleeps" and "Wherever I May Roam". The critical reaction to the new album, "Death Magnetic" has been equivocal, but at least two of the new tracks had great riffs and suggested a return to form after the riff-free "St Anger". Still a great live band.
