It's so Dad Rock Central here, I thought I had gone to a Tool concert. I love it. Plenty of people my age here, and a lot of them have bought there kids. It's awesome!
A couple of firsts in this show. The first time I've seen a show in a stadium. I've done festivals with a bunch of people there, but this is huge. Bank of America Stadium holds 70,000 for the football. Add how many people will be on the floor and this may be the biggest show I've ever seen. Also this is my first Metallica show. I remember them playing once in Vegas when I lived there, but they just have never been anywhere nearby for me to see. I also went through a long phase where I was pissed that Jason Newstead wasn't in the band and all the Napster shit. But here I am. And this was the 2nd show I'd been to where I'd seen a sniper patrolling the venue (the other time was Punk Rock Bowling 19 - a year after Fat Mike said something stupid about the Route 91 Harvest shootings). The sniper and spotter sat on top of the scoreboard at the Mint Street end of the stadium.
I'm deliberately there early to see Suicidal Tendencies. It had been 26 years since I saw them at a Warped Tour back in Sydney. That day Mike Muir came into the crowd and ended up next to me watching Pennywise. He then dragged me into Pennywise's requested giant circle pit. A great concert moment I'll never forget. Though the venue was not half full, it didn't stop Suicidal playing like it was their show. I watched the drummer come out early and greet all the fans close to the stage before doing all his stretches, and they got their deserved dues as they hit the stage. Muir skipped his way around the arena, both on and off the stage, for the full 40 minutes. The band also acknowledged the small mosh pit not far from where I was seated. Yes, this old man sat in the stands (at the back of the lower level). Great view of stage and crowd. Institutionalized and Subliminal were highlights
31 years was how long since I'd seen Pantera. And that still remains one of the top 20 concerts I've seen. I wasn't quite sure if it really was Pantera without Dime and Vinnie, but that stupid notion was put to rest even before a note was played. Charlie Benante with his kick drums covered in portraits of the 2 Abbott brothers, and Zakk Wylde in his CFH leather vest that also paid tribute showed a respect that I thought was admirable. Last time I saw them They didn't play Mouth for War or I'm Broken, so to get both in the first half of the set was amazing. Again the stage, a huge circle in the middle of the field, was well used by the band, with Benante paying 1/2 the set far from me, and the 2nd half on another kit closer to us, and the other 3 stalking the stage, playing to everyone. After a recorded version of Cemetery Gates, that showed a video tribute to the Abbott brothers, Pantera just killed an awesome 4 song streak, 5 Minutes Alone, This Love, Fucking Hostile and Walk was just amazing. I just pity the folks that weren't there early enough to see it. Not sure I have another 31 years to wait to see Pantera again. I hope they come through Charlotte again soon.
Pantera, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
I had an hour between Pantera and Metallica, so I raced to the restroom, and as quick as I was, I then had no chance of getting either food or merchandise before Metallica started. That said, I was hoping to pick up some vinyl but there were only tshirts for sale, and I opted not to add to my black tshirt collection.
With the sun finally set, and the stadium about 95% full (all the seats taken, but a fair bit of space left on the floor), Metallica walked around the stage greeting fans before getting up there to the sounds of AC/DCs A Long Way To The Top. This began a great set, with the added bonus of the art of distraction. Being so far back, there was plenty to see, but there wasn't even a drum kit on stage when the band walked out. But all of a sudden there was a smaller than expected kit ready to go as the rest of the band got there other instruments. Metallica then put on a well curated set. Starting off with 3 classics: Creeping Death, For Whom The Bell Tolls and Ride the Lightning would have made a lot of old school fans happy (and there were a lot here). A few songs I didn't know, including 2 off the new 72 seasons album, and just under half way in Kirk and Rob did an instrumental duo at our end of the stage. It wasn't till the full band came back on that I finally saw the drums rising out of the stage in a different quadrant. It still doesn't explain how the drums were rotated on the spot - which I never saw happen. Fuel saw the flames introduced into the set, and Orion was dedicated to Cliff Burton, before the stadium filled with iPhone lights for Nothing Else Matters - which also saw rain fall for a couple of minutes (who's happy to be back under shelter now). Fireworks and flames acted as the war field as One began. This is what I was here for. To me this is Metallica's best song. And it did not disappoint! Hair on the back of my neck and arms stood up as Hetfield angrily belted out "Darkness....imprisoning me...all that I see....absolute horror....". Seek and Destroy showed how much the band liked performing, with Hetfield telling the crowd how he has the best job in the world. He, and the rest of the band, certainly looked like it. Master of Puppets was amazing and hard to believe that it could be topped. But it was. Easily! Metallica's most successful song, I find, is the divider between old school Metallica fans (the ones that loved the thrashier stuff) and the more modern heavy rock fan. But tonight, swelled by the good mix of both styles during the night, saw everyone go absolutely apeshit to the first notes of Enter Sandman. Everyone knew every word and it was being belted out at maximum volume.
Metallica, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
What a performance! Makes me a little sad that I'd never seen Metallica before, and I likely would not have gone with out he openers being Suicidals and Pantera. But even as the 2nd most expensive concert I've been too, it was well worth the price of admission.
Side note: Played the boys some Pantera and Metallica in the car the next day. I got the "hmm...that's good dad...can we listed to anything else?"
This is my 520th concert.
Bank of America Stadium is the 141st venue I've seen a concert at.
This is my 118th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 141st concert in North Carolina.
This is my 320th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Suicidal Tendencies concert.
This is my 2nd Pantera concert.
Metallica are the 604th band I've seen.
Metallica are the 200th time I've seen a band in Charlotte.
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