Machine Head
The Sword
Newcastle Arena
03.03.09
In the queue that snakes around the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle people of all shapes and sizes are waiting in the freezing cold rain to see the biggest metal band in the world. That band is none other than Metallica. Once you get in the foyer excitement is already in the air. In a scene akin to Detroit Rock City, thousands of metal heads have gathered to see this band.
By the time Austin Texas’ The Sword take to the stage the huge arena is already full to the brim. This band is extremely lucky to be able to support 2 of the biggest metal bands in the world and by the end of their set you can understand why they were chosen. Their composite of doom metal and blues is a hit with the crowd. The songs are heavy and dark but keep a good groove throughout them that you can’t help but nod your head too, and the thousands of people nodding along proves that theory right! They were extremely captivating throughout their relatively short half hour set and had the crowd cheering them on. They were a genuinely fresh, tight band that I can’t wait to hear more of.
Next up are the mighty metal titans Machine Head. The crowd are bumbling with excitement as they wait for them to enter. The lights go down and entrance music plays that sounds like the four horsemen are riding into the arena. The place roars as Machine Head run onto the stage. They rip through their set giving no mercy to the crowd, and they have no problems with spurring them on either. The amount of times the lines “Come on Newcastle!” is shouted is countless. Machine Head have a lot more depth than just a fast metal band, often using acoustic bridges in songs creating a stark contrast.
However when they do play fast they really play fast. Blistering hits like Davidian and Halo keep the circle pits flowing furiously. Machine Head are extremely tight as a band never messing up a song once, keeping the solos and divebombs in perfect time with the drums and bass. They feed off the energy of the crowd and the crowd feed off their energy, the double bass can be felt pounding through the floor of the arena keeping things heavy as fuck. When they leave the stage the fans want more but they also need to prepare themselves for what might be the most intense 2 hours of their lives.
The floor is getting even fuller by the time 9 o clock rolls around and you understand this place really is sold out. No seats are empty; everyone is waiting anxiously for the trademark The Ecstasy of Gold to play. The arena is dark, everyone is cheering, the entrance music is playing, and lasers beam to every corner of the arena when Metallica take command. They burst straight into That Was Just Your Life a high-octane metal feast from their new album Death Magnetic sounding as thrashy as Kill ‘Em All with the violence of Master of Puppets.
The leviathan that is Metallica whips the crowd into frenzy, singing along with every word that comes out of Hetfield’s mouth, savouring every moment. After the impressive light show they keep the arena alive for 2 hours with a mix of old and new songs. Pumping through classics like Whiplash, Harvester of Sorrow and the alma mater Master of Puppets. All played with more energy and speed than a studio recording could ever achieve. Tracks from Death Magnetic such as Cyanide and The Day That Never Comes are huge pleasers, referring back to an older sound for Metallica but with more depth and innovation. And of course the more commercial songs One and Enter Sandman are a must for a Metallica set list, bringing both die hard and fresh faced Metallica fans together. In the encore they even throw in a cover of Sweet Savage’s Killing Time.
The houselights are on and it’s almost the end of the show. The opening riff of Seek and Destroy echoes through the building, beach balls branded with the Metallica logo fall from the ceiling. Everyone is singing along, beach balls are flying through the air and the atmosphere is electric! Afterwards the band humbly says their thanks and when all is said and done they leave the stage.
After making your way out of the arena you can’t help but feel different and affected by the 2 hours you’ve just experienced. Metallica are still as good as, if not better than when they were younger. And there’s nothing more invigorating than seeing 4 middle aged men rocking out as if they were 18. After tonight it really is clear that Metallica are still the heavy metal champions of the world!
Jonathan Teggert