Kerrang! – June 28, 2019

58 KERRANG!

KKKKK = CLASSIC KKKK = EXCELLENT KKK = GOOD KK = AVERAGE K = POOR

A

re you sure you

still like Metallica?”

enquires James

Hetfield. It’s a

redundant question,

really. Just last night, we handed

them the Kerrang! Award for

Best International Live Act. But

more than that, in front of Papa

Het stand 82,000 people who

have somehow managed to

get to this most inconvenient

of venues (as the home of the British Lions,

Twickenham is a magical place; as a gig

venue, it’s utter rugby-balls), and are right

now hardwired into ‘Tallica’s world. From

the two Snakepits in front of the stage, from

which it’s possible to reach out and high-five

the Four Horsemen, to the top seats where

the sheer size of the stage’s video backdrop

means the action remains in your face, the

answer is an emphatic ‘fuck yes’ that can be

felt even more than the pyro that would make

even Rammstein wince.

Part of the reason for this love is Metallica’s

continued cheerleading and support for

new blood. Thus, openers Bokassa find

themselves plucked from the underground

to staring out at this stupidly big stadium by

personal invitation of Lars Ulrich. Their groovy

stoner-punk is perfectly pitched to get the

party started, and they earn extra points for

managing not to be swallowed whole by the

gigantic stage.

Ghost, on the other hand, have made

taming such enormous spaces their main

business. In front of a gigantic onstage

cathedral, Cardinal Copia struts around the

Snakepit with a confidence that puts Donald

Trump in the shade as they bust out Rats

and From The Pinnacle To The Pit with a

sassy coolness. True, the Cardinal sounds like

Austin Powers baddie Goldmember when

asking the crowd if they want their “taints

tickled”, but as Dance Macabre

kicks in and the crowd lose

control of their legs, he’s also

one of the finest ringmasters in

modern rock.

For Metallica, even this is

like a mere mosquito biting an

elephant. As Hardwired boots

things off, it’s hard not to be

bowled over by the sheer power

pouring from the stage. With

a set list full of curveballs (no

Battery or Fuel, but there’s a surprisingly

good Frantic, non-album single Lords Of

Summer, and a welcome airing of underrated

S&M-only cut No Leaf Clover) there’s also

a sense of a band who could very easily

phone it in keeping themselves on their toes.

Throughout, there’s a radiance from the stage

of four people having an absolute riot.

“It’s starting to smell Danish out here,”

chuckles James, as Lars’ kit is brought to the

front of the long walkway into the crowd.

“He’s gonna sing and play guita... No.” Sadly,

we don’t get to hear Lars croon, but a brutal

Sad But True is much more welcome. As is the

quadruple-whammy of Master Of Puppets,

For Whom The Bell Tolls, a furious

Creeping Death and colossal sing-

along of Seek & Destroy.

As Enter Sandman brings

things to a close, once again,

James’ question is loudly

answered. But it also goes both

ways. As the final chords thunder

into the night, Lars takes the mic.

“We first played in 1984 at The

Marquee,” he recalls, before recounting

Metallica’s victories in this city across the

following decades, ending with a raised

fist and a genuine, sincere, delighted yell of,

“Metallica fucking love you, London!” Right

back at you, sir. Right back at you.NICK RUSKELL

METALLICA show why they won the Best International

Live Act Kerrang! Award at the home of British rugby

METALLICA

+ GHOST, BOKASSA

TWICKENHAM STADIUM,

LONDON

20/06/2019

KKKKK

Photo:

ANDY FORD

U T T ERLY

FRANTIC