1. Metallica 30th Anniversary Shows, The Fillmore, San Francisco 2011
For a week in December of 2011, Metallica had decided to do something really unique (in true Metallica tradition) to celebrate their thirty years of being a band. The biggest name in Heavy Metal and one of the biggest names in music, period, Metallica had
never taken the easy route and
never done anything half assed. It has always been "all or nothing" for their whole existence. That approach wasn't going to change for how they were going to celebrate this milestone. What they came up with was an astonishing concept - Book a venue out for a week, play four shows, invite fan club members only to make up the audience and play loads of songs from their back catalogue that included set mainstays and rarely aired gems. To make it even more special, invite loads of guest musicians to perform originals and covers with and casually chat to the crowd onstage in an informal manner. Where could they go that was nowhere near the size of venue Metallica play normally? Where would work and be intimate enough to add to the occasion? What venue was deserving of such a historic event? The Fillmore Theater in their home city, of course! Rich in history and tradition, housing just under 1200 people and in the bands backyard, perfect for this celebration. The 5th of December was the first night and the band had the local Soul Rebel brass band play their versions of some Metallica classics. Different but brilliant. Comedian and mega-fan, Jim Breuer, plays host and brings hilarity in spades. The band take to the stage and open with an instrumental (which they do each of the four nights). It is the turn of the first one they wrote, 'The Call of Ktulu' from second record, 'Ride The Lightning'. 'Carpe Diem Baby' appears, which has never been played live before and even the hulking groove-beast that is 'Leper Messiah' gets a dusting off. Rob Trujillo pays homage to late bassist, Cliff Burton, with an impromptu run through of 'Anesthesia' ('Pulling Teeth'). The night also sees former bassist, Jason Newsted, rejoin the band he served in for 14 years onstage for a few tracks and then another spectacle is the appearance of two members of Diamond Head for a run through of the numerous tracks that Metallica have covered. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjcIVxHSQgE The 7th, 9th and 10th of December all follow a similar format with loads of cameos, covers and originals. A particularly awesome treat, that can be seen on YouTube, is former Anthrax and Armored saint vocalist, John Bush (easily one of the best voices in metal) sing lead vocals for 'The Four Horsemen'. It is great to see this event as after the band tried twice in their early days to get Bush to join as Hetfield wanted to just play guitar. Funny to think how different things could've been had he joined. Other notable guests are Judas Priest's Rob Halford for a Priest cover, Geezer and Ozzy from Sabbath for some of their tunes, all of Mercyful Fate, Biff from Saxon, Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains, Glenn Danzig...and more! Heartwarming to see all these icons in their own right, come out to pay their respect to the might 'tallica! Of course the best was saved for last, and that was bringing on former member and Megadeth mastermind, Dave Mustaine for a blast through early songs that he was part-responsible for writing. What a sight to behold. All four shows were professionally filmed, but we are still waiting for an announcement that it will ever be released for those that weren't fortunate enough to be there.