James Hetfield, the lead vocalist of Metallica, shared his reflections and aspirations in a recent episode of “The Metallica Report,” a podcast dedicated to all things related to the band. As 2024 approaches, Hetfield expressed his gratitude for the past year and his excitement for the future. He emphasized the importance of self-improvement and spreading joy.
Metallica’s innovative “M72” tour features a unique in-the-round stage design, including a center-stage Snake Pit and a ring-shaped stage with eight monitor and speaker towers. This design allows more fans to attend their concerts. In August, Metallica attracted around 80,000 fans to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, setting a record for the largest crowd at the venue since its opening in 2020. Over 156,000 tickets were sold for their two shows there, part of the “M72” world tour.
A portion of the tour’s proceeds supports Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation, which focuses on community support, disaster relief, and scholarships. The massive production requires 87 trucks and over 170 crew members and local hires. Remarkably, up to 90% of the fans attend both shows in a two-concert stand, as reported by Metallica’s manager Cliff Burnstein.
The band’s August shows in Arlington, Texas, were also livestreamed to movie theaters worldwide, marking their first Texas performance since November 2021.
