This past Saturday was the Metallica show at the Sprint Center downtown.  The last time I saw them live was on the Guns & Roses/Metallica debacle back in 1992.  Since then I had kind of lost interest in them but with the new album out I figured I would see them again.

The show started at 7:00 and I decided that I wasn’t going to be late because I had heard good things about opening act The Sword and wanted to catch their whole set.  That being said, I kept my late streak alive by getting to my seat around 7:15, only seeing about half their set.  I had left the house on time, but between the returning Kansas State fans clogging up the I-70 toll plaza and the 20 minute wait outside the Sprint Center for security, it just wasn’t meant to be.

This thing with security at shows has gotten out of hand.  There were metal detectors set up and you had to empty out your pockets like you were at the airport.  I passed on seeing any shows at Sandstone this past summer because their security process is such a hassle (30 minutes last time I was there).  It looks like the Sprint Center has the same problem.  I don’t know if it’s due to the perceived unruliness of Metallica fans or what.  The thing is that this is one of the more well-behaved crowds I’ve seen in a while.

No cameras were allowed at all.  Most shows allow smaller digital cameras but not here.  I’ve never understood what the deal is with taking pictures anyway.  I understand no recording, that’s fine because they may want to see you something down the road, but what harm is it to take pictures?

Also I think the show set a new record for how far away the bootleg t-shirt guys were from the arena - easily half a mile away right as you got off the freeway.

Anyway, after The Sword finished their set I swear it was only ten or fifteen minutes before Down hit the stage.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, but they got the crowd worked up and were a good opener.  During their set the singer asked the crowd who would be coming to see them next time they came through town.  After the crowd cheered he said he would believe it when he saw the ticket sales.  I think depending on where they play in town I would probably go to see them.  They were good enough that I’ll pick up one of their albums.

I think they finished their set around 8:20 - 8:30 and after the generic speech by a local radio guy Metallica started right at 9:00 - it seemed very precise.

Here’s the setlist from livemetallica.com:

That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Harvester Of Sorrow
Ride The Lightning
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Until It Sleeps
Wherever I May Roam
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Fight Fire With Fire
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
Last Caress
Motorbreath
Seek and Destroy

The setlist is okay.  Not enough surprises and too predictable but the crowd really got into it.  Being at the show reminded me that I don’t like “Ride the Lightning” and if I never hear “One” again it will be too soon.

I wasn’t that crazy about the round stage setup.  Each band seemed almost like a random gathering of people on it, just running around.  The other thing is that I am really glad I didn’t pay extra for access to the floor.  Besides all the jack offs you have to deal with it seemed like you are only getting part of the show regardless of where you are.

On the plus side, the band sounded great.  This was my first time at the Sprint Center and the sound quality for all three bands was good.  “Harvester of Sorrow” was a nice choice, and I never get tired of hearing “Last Caress” or “Sad But True”.

It may be due to my age, but I felt like there was definitely something missing from the show, some excitement or surprise.  I had a good time but at this point I probably wouldn’t go see them again.  Maybe I’m just tired of the big arena shows, I just feel like I have a better time at smaller, more relaxed venues.  But what the hell do I know, it seemed everyone else there was having a great time.

I have to admit that I like it.  I figured Metallica had lost it and would never make another good album, but I was wrong.  Death Magnetic is a huge improvement over St. Anger and Re-Load.  I even like “The Unforgiven III” even though I think “The Unforgiven II” is one of the worst things they every put out.  After listening to the album version, I was wrong about my complaints about “Cyanide.”  Great song, maybe the best one on the album.

People complained about the lack of guitar solos on St. Anger and I didn’t think that was a big deal, but after listening to this it’s obvious that was one of its big problems.  The guitar solos are great and there’s a sense of urgency in the music that makes it compelling.

The only complaint I have is with “Day That Never Comes.”  Although it’s not a bad song, the actual singing brings back memories of the worst songs off of Re-Load and St Anger.

I’ve listened to this a ton since I got it, which is rare given my short attention span.  I’m looking forward to hearing these songs live.

So Metallica announced their tour dates and it includes an October 25th date in Kansas City. For some reason I’m thinking I’d like to go which is strange since I had written them off long ago.

The last time I saw them live was in 1992, part of the Metallica/Guns & Roses tour. Since then they’ve released Load (which I liked) but after that a series of missteps, including “Reload”, the whole Napster thing, “St Anger”, and “Some Kind of Monster”. Every time I see or hear Lars I cringe because at this point he seems like nothing more than a whiner.

Part of the problem is that I want to like them. When I heard “Master of Puppets” in 1986 I was completely blown away - I had never heard anything like it before. Seeing them live clinched it. So it really pains me to watch them release a bunch of crap.

I know part of the reason I’m thinking about going is the new Sprint Center which I’ve never been to. Van Halen played there but that didn’t really interest me, nor did the string of adult contemporary acts to follow. I know the clincher will be the ticket prices, and I have a bad feeling about those.

Here’s a live version of one of their new songs. It certainly sounds better than the stuff on “St Anger”, but nothing about it really grabs me. If there was a piece of software that could write songs and you told it to write a Metallica song, this is what I imagine it would come up with. It sounds right, but it lacks feeling.