Metallica have played the first show of their M72 world tour, at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Following the traditional Ecstasy Of Gold taped intro, the band played a 16 song set that included a surprise opener in instrumental Orion (watch below), from Master Of Puppets. It's a song the band hasn't played live in more than a decade, and is closely associated with the band's original bass player, the late Cliff Burton, whose Orion solo was a highlight of early Metallica shows. Orion was also played at Burton's memorial service in 1986.
From then on the set was more as you'd expect: live debuts for 72 Seasons highlights Screaming Silence and Sleeping My Life Away, and a host of classics including For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade To Black, Nothing Else Matters, Sad But True, Ride The Lightning, Battery, Seek & Destroy and Master Of Puppets.
Metallica's M72 tour features a new in-the-round stage set, with the band's iconic "snake pit" relocated to the centre of the stage, giving fans lucky enough – or with deep enough pockets, as Moth Into Flame Snake Pit Experience tickets start at around the $1000 mark – a 360-degree view of the show.
The band's next show is at the ArenA in Amsterdam on Saturday night (April 29).
Metallica: Johan Cruijff ArenA setlist
Orion
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Holier Than Thou
King Nothing
Lux Æterna
Screaming Suicide
Fade to Black
Sleepwalk My Life Away
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
The Day That Never Comes
Ride the Lightning
Battery
Fuel
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets
Metallica: M72 World Tour 2023
Apr 29: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, Netherlands
May 17: Paris Stade de France, France
May 19: Paris Stade de France, France
May 26: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, Germany
May 28: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, Germany
Jun 08: Download Festival, UK
Jun 10: Download Festival, UK
Jun 16: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, Sweden
Jun 18: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, Sweden
Aug 04: East Rutherford MetLife Stadium, NJ, USA
Aug 06: East Rutherford MetLife Stadium, NJ, USA
Aug 11: Montreal Stade Olympique, Canada
Aug 13: Montreal Stade Olympique, Canada
Aug 18: Arlington AT&T Stadium, TX, USA
Aug 20: Arlington AT&T Stadium, TX, USA
Aug 25: Inglewood SoFi Stadium, CA, USA
Aug 27: Inglewood SoFi Stadium, CA, USA
Sep 01: Glendale State Farm Stadium, AZ, USA
Sep 03: Glendale State Farm Stadium, AZ, USA
Nov 03: St. Louis The Dome at America’s Center, MO, USA
Nov 05: St. Louis, The Dome at America’s Center, MO, USA
Nov 10: Detroit Ford Field, MI, USA
Nov 12: Detroit Ford Field, MI, USA
Metallica: M72 World Tour 2024
May 24: Munich Olympiastadion, Germany
May 26: Munich Olympiastadion, Germany
Jun 07: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland
Jun 09: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland
Jun 14: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jun 16: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jul 05: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 07: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 12: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Jul 14: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Aug 02: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 04: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 09: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 11: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 16: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 18: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 23: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 25: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 30: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 01: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 20: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 22: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 27: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 29: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
