11-14-09 JamesFor the second time this year, Metallica played the New York metro area, this time taking the critically acclaimed live metal show to the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Still supporting the Grammy award-winning Death Magnetic album, the band opened their set with the album’s first two tracks and proceeded to tear through the required classics like “Master of Puppets,” “One,” and “Enter Sandman.”

There were several pleasant surprises in the mix such as “Holier Than Thou,” “Helpless,” and “Whiplash.” The only shortcoming of the show, was the lack of “Creeping Death” in the set.

After the show, drummer Lars Ulrich acknowledged that it was pathetic that Metallica has not not played MSG in over a decade, although the band did play the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary show two weeks ago.

The supporting acts for this leg of the World Magnetic Tour are Danish rockers Volbeat and Lamb of God.  However, I much prefer to see Machine Head support Metallica over Lamb of God any day.

11-14-09 James LasersA friend texted me during Lamb of God’s set, “these guys so want to be Pantera.” I never understood the big deal either.

If you have not seen Metallica on this tour yet, you are missing out on a huge and an important rock show experience and should do everything in your power to get there.

Over the last year, the band has been more than making up for the disappointing St. Anger album and tour of 2003-2004 –Meds

Setlist:

  1. “That Was Just Your Life”
  2. “The End Of The Line”
  3. “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
  4. “Holier Than Thou”
  5. “One”
  6. “Broken, Beat And Scarred”
  7. “Cyanide”
  8. “Sad But True”
  9. “Turn The Page”
  10. “All Nightmare Long”
  11. “The Day That Never Comes”
  12. “Master Of Puppets”
  13. “Fight Fire With Fire”
  14. “Nothing Else Matters”
  15. “Enter Sandman”
  16. “Helpless”
  17. “Whiplash”
  18. “Seek & Destroy”

Top-Left: Frontman James Hetfield at the mic with Lars Ulrich on the drums by R.Meds on 11-14-09; Bottom-Left: Hetfield in lasers