IN WITH THE NEW

  
  	                             Ross Halfin  
  
BY STEFFAN CHIRAZI 
  
One thing I am absolutely sure of in the aftermath of the opening night of leg one of Metallica’s European WorldWired tour…there wasn’t one single Dane (or any other nationality for that matter) inside of Royal Arena who was unhappy they had to come back to see this make-up show from February’s cancellation! At the time, it likely felt like the worst thing in the world – an egregious act which could never quite be recovered even after the band assured all they would kick things off in Copenhagen for all ticket holders. But not anymore. Because this was the night Metallica unveiled a completely new, never-seen-before approach to enjoying their music live, bringing into the hard rock arena the sort of lighting and video you’d associate with enormous theatrical productions.
  
  
  	                             Ross Halfin  
  
On first look, the stars of the show are the 52 video cubes which hover above the stage. They duck, they drop, they stagger, they sit nicely and play together too. They act as independent lighting AND they (of course) play content and hold certain effects. So yeah, as these cubes are dropping and staggering themselves around people’s heads, they are a star turn. But then you realize there’s more. Giant “searchlights” cluster in each corner to throw an eerie glow over the crowd. There are also 100 drones which appear out of the stage during “Moth Into Flame” in packs (not sure whether moths travel in “packs” or not, but that’s beside the point) and weave a wicked series of paths around the stage before disappearing back from whence they came. Indeed, there's a tangible bevvy of eye-candy to absorb, including some good ol’ fashioned pyro and fire. It is a production that keeps you moving and will doubtless keep moving itself as everyone allows the full scope of what those cubes can do to infiltrate their systems yet further. But production-wise, the fans (that is YOU and YOU over there) are every inch as much a star of this show just by being there, framed on the floor, the living breathing life-force which gives the band back the energy it’s putting out.
  
  
  	                             Ross Halfin  
  
In terms of whipping up yet more of that oft-mentioned energy exchange, they repositioned a couple of classics with instant, immense success. “Seek & Destroy” as the THIRD SONG? Oh yeah! “Breadfan” (BREADFUCKINGFANWOOOARRRRRGGGHHHHYEAH) a little more than half-way through? YES, YES, YES as I bang my head clean off my shoulders! “Moth Into Flame” sitting seven from the end in the prime-time “normally-reserved-for-old-classics” spot? But this is a new classic that feels like a great old classic. Stealthy, healthy, and well capable of holding such a weighty place in the show. “Through The Never” was crushing, a dreadnought of power and intent, and “Dream No More” shook the Royal Arena foundations with only its second live airing. Indeed, the way in which tonight’s set moved with those tweaks and twists was like a bit of magic Metallica feng shui!
  
  
  	                             Ross Halfin  
  
But truth be told, it’s now 4:00 am and my head’s still trying to wrap itself around everything. Because this latest leg, this latest production on the WorldWired tour, is exactly as Metallica shows should be: different, special, gloriously weird and wonderful, yet aurally exceptional… Let’s see what surprises Amsterdam might bring, shall we?
  
  
  	                             Ross Halfin