There were flames, fireworks, and an unexpected blast of “Smoko,” as Metallica’s M72 tour stopped by Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, Nov. 12.
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The Rock Hall-inducted metal giants have been extra sweet to audiences on this trek, their first down under since 2013, by playing a homegrown classic on each tour date.
For their tour opener Nov. 1 at Perth’s Optus Stadium, the Bay Area legends carved out a rendition of John Butler’s “Zebra,” which the Western Australian native responded to with his own cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
Then, at Adelaide Oval on Nov. 5, the rockers covered INXS’ Billboard Hot 100 leader “Need You Tonight,” and segued into the Angels’ classic from 1976, “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again,” led by bass player Robert Trujillo at the mic. For their Melbourne show, at Marvel Stadium, Metallica covered “Prisoner of Society” the alternative rock trio the Living End.
The rumor mill was grinding away ahead of Metallica’s lone show in the Sunshine State. Would they cover a Powderfinger song, or the Go-Betweens? Perhaps the Saints? Or maybe a leftfield choice by performing the Bee Gees, the Veronicas or even Keith Urban.
As it turned out, Metallica hit the right note with a cover of the Chats’ “Smoko,” originally released on the Sunshine Coast punk rock act’s 2017 EP, Get This in Ya!!. Trujillo once again took vocal duties, accompanied by lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. “We like to celebrate music from your hood,” Trujillo remarked.
A “smoko” is, for those uninitiated, an Australian expression for a break from work, or more specifically, a pause to smoke.
Eamon Sandwith and Co. were thrilled with the nod. “Stoked to make it to the ‘doodle’ section of the set, thanks Metallica,” reads a social post from the ARIA Award-winning band.
Metallica opened the show with a mainscreen montage of the fan photos, set to “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll)” by AC/DC, whose own tour of Australia kicked off at the same time, 1,000 miles south of Brisbane, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. AC/DC will visit Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, twice, in December.
“Thank you, we missed you a lot,” frontman James Hetfield told the audience, gathered on an unusually cool November night. “We’re very grateful to be here. This is love.”
Hetfield also insisted that he had “the best job in the world,” which he well could, before Metallica launched into “Sad But True,” an anvil of a song.
Metallica may have mellowed through the years, but they’re still hard as hammers, which they proved with a set that flew high and never came down. The encore, of “Master Of Puppets,” “One,” and “Enter Sandman” could’ve woken the dead. Maybe the fourpiece was tipped off that the venue was once Paddington Cemetery, a burial ground.
Late in the set, Hetfield welcomed the capacity house as members of the “Metallica family,” some as veterans, others newcomers. “That’s why we’re here. To forget all the bull**** in life.” As good parents, Hetfield, Hammett, Trujillo and drummer Lars Ulrich stayed on stage well after the last chord rung out, to share gifts of drumsticks, guitar picks and take turns in thanking the fans.
Produced by Live Nation Australia, the tour continues at Sydney’s Accor Stadium (Nov. 15) and wraps up Nov. 19 at Auckland’s Eden Park. Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies are the support on this leg of the M72 World Tour.
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