Metallica in Dublin review: Spectacular production helps get the fans rocking at Aviva Stadium
Metallica at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday.
★★★★☆
Metallica have stormed the Aviva Stadium this weekend for their first Dublin shows since 2009, and their first time headlining in Ireland since Slane Castle in 2019. The four-piece - James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Rob Trujillo, and Lars Ulrich - have been at it for 45 years, and Hetfield, surveying the roughly 40,000-strong crowd of newbies and veterans, admits they haven’t played Ireland often enough over the decades.
They’re making up for lost time with a No Repeat Weekender: Dublin is one of only three cities on the European leg of the M72 tour to get two full shows, Friday and Sunday. If you only go to one, you are missing out.
The production is spectacular. They’re playing in the round on a circular stage with a “snake pit” at its heart - a couple of hundred lucky uber-fans packed in as close as you can get to the foursome. Towering above it all are eight 30m-high video and speaker towers that make the whole thing look and feel massive.
The only downside? Playing in the middle of the pitch leaves the band completely exposed to our washout summer. Rain hammers down throughout, leaving puddles across the stage. As Hetfield sings "And the sunshine never comes” during , it feels almost too on the nose.
At 8.15pm, after the classic Ennio Morricone intro, Ulrich’s drums rose from beneath the stage and they exploded straight into it: Creeping Death (the predicted opener for night one), Harvester of Sorrow, and a thunderous Leper Messiah. The early set was pure, crushing energy as the band prowled the circular stage.
Then came a heavier dose of material drawn from their output this century. While (the album that gives the tour its name) has some strong moments - is admirably soul-searching - the energy and attention of the 40,000-strong crowd dipped noticeably during the newer tracks. Hetfield’s between-song banter also feels a bit corny (“the Metallica family” etc), though his signature growl is still commanding.
The nadir of this section is Trujillo and Hammett's 'doodle' jam, an attempt to cover Thin Lizzy's It's ropey at best.
The turning point comes with the instrumental dedicated to their “fallen brother” Cliff Burton, the band's original bassist who passed away in 1986. The musicians huddle around Ulrich’s kit to play it, a genuine stadium-rock moment that reminded everyone of the band's roots.
From there, any quibbles vanish. drew the loudest roar of the night, with thousands of phone lights swaying and arms around shoulders - even the mini mosh pits turned into group hugs. “I have the best job in the world and I know it,” Hetfield grinned. “Thanks for bringing the energy.”
sees Trujillo sporting a silly paper crown (looking like it came straight out of a fast-food meal) as he crosses the snake pit on a moving platform - the only time it happens on the night. it looked like a blast. Maybe the other three will give it a go on Sunday.
Fuel then explodes out of the speakers with flames and pyrotechnics shooting up from the stage; the four-piece must know exactly where not to be standing for this one.
They close the night with the epic call-and-response of (complete with a shower of bouncing balloons from the towers) and the immortal uring which Hetfield growls: “More is all you need."
Anyone with tickets for Sunday night is in for another two-hour feast, with the added bonus of some sunshine along the way.
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