Metallica announces North American tour dates for 2018-2019

METALLICA has announced the details of the 2018-2019 North American leg of of its “WorldWired” tour in support of the band’s latest album, “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”.

The 34-date trek kicks off September 2 in Madison, Wisconsin and runs through March 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tickets go on sale to the public starting March 2 at Live Nation and the Fan Club presale begins February 27. Each ticket purchase will be accompanied by a physical or digital copy of “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”.

Says the band: “Following last summer’s sold-out 25-date stadium run, this year we’re bringing the in-the-round production currently being seen in European arenas to the U.S. and Canada kicking off on September 2, 2018, in Madison, WI. Along the way we’ll be visiting 34 cities we did not go to last year, including a few we haven’t been to in decades, including Grand Forks, ND (nearly 30 years), Sioux Falls, SD, El Paso, TX, Birmingham, AL (nearly 26 years) and State College, PA (20 years). About time, wouldn’t you say?!”

“The fall/winter tour will mark a few firsts for us as each show will get rolling with the Light It Up pre-show party hosted by our very good friend Jim Breuer. Jim, along with a DJ to get the night rocking with some great tunes, hits the stage before us with comedy, fan interaction, giveaways and much more. And if you love to travel and one show just isn’t enough, then perhaps the Wherever I May Roam Black Ticket is for you! For the first time in ‘TALLICA history, you may purchase one ticket that will allow you floor access to any METALLICA show on the 2018/2019 North American tour. Feel like trucking to Tulsa? Booking to Boise? Motoring to Minneapolis? No problem… you pick the show, call us no less than 48 hours before the gig and you’re in! A limited number of 250 of these Black Tickets* will be available for $598 (yes… we are celebrating the re-issue of the ‘Garage Days Re-Revisited’ EP!).

“Of course, some things don’t change! As we have been doing for most of the ‘WorldWired’ shows, every ticket purchased includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of ‘Hardwired…To Self-Destruct’. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend or family member… you’ll receive info via e-mail after your ticket purchase on how to obtain your copy. The enhanced experience options designed to take your METALLI-night to the next level are also returning as we continue to partner with the team that makes it all happen at CID Entertainment. You’ll have three options of special enhanced experiences, including premium tickets and amenities ranging from early access to the venue and the ‘Memory Remains’ exhibit of memorabilia to meeting some of us (!).

“Finally, we’ll continue to raise funds for our All Within My Hands foundation, which supports a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities, music education programs and local food banks. Continuing our collaboration with Crowdrise, we encourage you to make a donation when purchasing tickets to the upcoming shows and each time you donate, you’ll be entered to win tickets, pre-show party passes, meet and greet passes, and one lucky winner will be flown to the last show on the tour. 

Tour dates:

Sep. 02 – Madison, WI @ Kohl Center
Sep. 04 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Sep. 06 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
Sep. 08 – Grand Forks, ND @ Alerus Center
Sep. 11 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
Sep. 13 – Winnipeg, MB @ Bell MTS Place
Sep. 15 – Saskatoon, SK @ SaskTel Centre
Oct. 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Wisconsin Entertainment and Sport Center
Oct. 18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 20 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
Oct. 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct. 27 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Oct. 29 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
Nov. 26 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Nov. 28 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
Nov. 30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
Dec. 02 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
Dec. 05 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Dec. 07 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
Dec. 09 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
Jan. 18, 2019 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
Jan. 20, 2019 – Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
Jan. 22, 2019 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Jan. 24, 2019 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Jan. 28, 2019 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Jan. 30, 2019 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena
Feb. 01, 2019 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Feb. 28, 2019 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
Mar. 02, 2019 – Lubbock, TX @ United Supermarkets Arena
Mar. 04, 2019 – Wichita, KS @ Intrust Bank Arena
Mar. 06, 2019 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Mar. 09, 2019 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
Mar. 11, 2019 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Mar. 13, 2019 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett remember Cliff Burton’s final show

Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich have spoken in-depth about Cliff Burton’s last show with Metallica before his untimely death.

Promoting their expansive box set reissue of ‘Master of Puppets’, which is out today, the guitarist and drummer were asked by Rolling Stone if it was emotional listening back to Cliff’s last ever gig at Solnahallen in Stockholm, Sweden on 26th September 1986 - one day before the bassist's death. 

A fan recording of the show features in the box set on cassette format, which also includes a digital download card.

Lars said of the gig: “Obviously, we're 31 years past (the show taking place). So you pause, you reflect, you think, you appreciate, you're humbled. I move so fast through a lot of the stuff that I never slow down long enough to reflect.

“And occasionally, when you sit with some of the stuff at 2 o'clock in the morning, you go, ‘Wow.’ When you sit there and listen to the last two songs or look at the pictures from the last show with him, it stops you in your tracks as you deal with it.”

Cliff, Kirk, Lars and James in 1986

Asked what they specifically remember about the show, Lars responded: “We'd finished playing all the Odeons in England, which are these old, 3,000-seat movie theatres and we got to Scandinavia where they were more like ice-hockey holes – smaller, colder, darker. It was a different vibe.

“We played the show in Stockholm, and it went incredibly well. I think it may have been a rare case where we actually played an additional song that wasn't on the set list, because the show was so good. That's not something we did a lot then or now. So, there was a good vibe.”

Kirk added: “It was significant because it was the first show where James played guitar again (James had broken his wrist in a skateboarding accident several months previous).

“He strapped on a guitar and was able to play the encore; I think it was "Blitzkrieg" or something. But I remember the five of us, including John Marshall (Kirk’s guitar tech and stand-in for James), being really stoked James was back and playing and looking like was gonna make a pretty healthy recovery.

“I distinctly remember that show being good, and the feeling when we got offstage was really great and positive and forward-looking. Like, ‘Great, James is back in and it won't be long 'til we're back to our old selves again.’

“It was that kind of mood after the show and then the accident happened and it literally felt like we were going from a hopeful sort of circumstance to one where we found ourselves in into a deep, black pit.”

 Cliff and James in 1984

Lars continued: “We did a lot of press that day, and we did a photo shoot for a Swedish magazine called OK, which was almost like a teenybopper magazine. We were sitting on the bus afterwards, talking about how cool it was, and Cliff and I were hanging out, having a beer. It's a little fuzzy now but it was a good day.”

“I remember right when we were about to leave in the bus, the fans started running towards us,” says Kirk. “Cliff said, ‘Look at them. They look like zombies!’ He was way into zombies. We were all just kind of laughing. Then we started playing cards. And we had a long, long drive. And everyone knows the rest of it.”