Metallica 2014

[JayBalls]

that was bloody awful

I'm here all week

[autoinflate]

They go down brilliantly at festivals all over the world which aren't "metal festivals". It's a shame Glastonbury have had such an aversion to metal and hard rock acts because other diverse festivals elsewhere in the world wouldn't think twice about booking a band like Metallica.

Well I say this, it looks like finally Glastonbury is going to do it, but it's about time.

well i had a quick look and they seem to play mostly metal/rock festivals with the odd mainstream fest here and there....i'm sure they go down well at these gigs, although people do know they're going to play in advance and buy tickets accordingly.

we're talking about glastonbury though which hasn't previously booked big metal acts, is the best festival in the world regardless, but has suddenly done so.

you think more metal bookings will enhance the festival, I disagree.

it would be interesting to see a poll of people who go to glastonbury regularly, of which there are large numbers, to see who wants more metal/heavy rock on the main stages, or elsewhere for that matter.

[TomWales]

Perhaps Glastonbury is the success it is precisely because it's tended to not feature heavier acts at the top end of the bill?

I'm saying that mainly in jest, yet the record of the heavier fests in this country isn't the best, and while Download has made a good go of it it has to rely on just a few acts on constant repeat as its headliners.

Glastonbury has (since the early 80s, anyway) always featured a lot of pop (meant in the widest way) on the Pyramid and particularly at the top end of the bill, and that has given it a broad appeal which has enabled it to grow to the size that it is.

Festivals like Download and Sonisphere have struggled at times but that's mainly because they try to book a very narrow spectrum of types of bands which naturally forces repeats and means lineups can struggle when bigger bands' touring schedules don't match up, or some are writing albums on top of a narrow field to begin with.

Then again you can look at R&L who book heavy acts as part of a diverse spectrum of genres it covers and that sells consistently well. Obviously in the grand scheme of things Glastonbury is an anomaly in terms of its ticket sales.

Edit: In short Glastonbury should book good acts regardless of genre, it has always had diversity. Metal and Rock festivals struggle sometimes because put simply, there isn't enough top quality acts to fill out a festival sometimes. It does seem like Glastonbury has actively ignored heavy bands, even when there have been exiting and good enough bands around who could be booked.

Edited May 2, 2014 by TomWales

[TomWales]

well i had a quick look and they seem to play mostly metal/rock festivals with the odd mainstream fest here and there....i'm sure they go down well at these gigs, although people do know they're going to play in advance and buy tickets accordingly.

we're talking about glastonbury though which hasn't previously booked big metal acts, is the best festival in the world regardless, but has suddenly done so.

you think more metal bookings will enhance the festival, I disagree.

it would be interesting to see a poll of people who go to glastonbury regularly, of which there are large numbers, to see who wants more metal/heavy rock on the main stages, or elsewhere for that matter.

I guess a lot of the big european festivals are a lot happier by default to book harder bands I guess and as a result attract fans who would enjoy those bands.

I think an openess to add more hard rock bands in to the mix would be a positive for sure. There has always been one or two dotted about but the top spots have always been avoided.

I agree a poll would be interesting...

[autoinflate]

Edit: In short Glastonbury should book good acts regardless of genre, it has always had diversity. Metal and Rock festivals struggle sometimes because put simply, there isn't enough top quality acts to fill out a festival sometimes. It does seem like Glastonbury has actively ignored heavy bands, even when there have been exiting and good enough bands around who could be booked.

surely they haven't booked heavy acts because it isn't what they or most of the crowd want?

get out and about in the festival this year and chat to people about metal / heavy rock and whether it should be prominent on the bill....i don't think you'll find a huge response in favour.

now whether the festival should change and attract loads of different punters who are into this stuff is another debate....imo definitely not!

[wolfamongwolves]

Bonnaroo is pretty much the equivalent to Glastonbury for the USA. They do not normally book metal bands. But Metallica played there. According to reports they were fantastic. Pearl jam also went down a storm.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Niche?

I can't find enter sandman here

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5A022940D58307BD

[dan05delaney]

There has always been metal at glastonbury.

Usually the fence

[Superunknown]

Usually the fence

Ba dum tsss.

Also, just noticed the lyrics in your sig.... did we just become best friends?

[Swieve]

Musically, I love this band up until 1988. The Black Album was a departure, Bob Rock took off the rougher edges and taught Hetfield to sing. The album sounded so very polished, it was still Metallica, but less "progressive" musically.

In metal circles the band were huge prior to the Black Album but they were never the same again for me. I was 15 when they played here on the "And Justice For All" tour and I couldn't go to see them. By the time I actually got a chance to see them live, I'd long since been disillusioned.

So I've never seen them play live. I may have went the last time they played Belfast but it clashed with something and I couldn't go.

So now they are playing Glastonbury I for one am very happy. Too often the Pyramid headliners have disappointed me and I don't necessarily go there, but this year I will be firmly planted there on Friday & Saturday night

So that gig in 1988 is the one that got away as far as I am concerned. I used to have a wonderful bootleg of the show on cassette but its long since gone. So it would really please me if they recreated that gig by playing the same setlist. Its never going to happen but I can dream. I reckon we'll get about two thirds of it

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/metallica/1988/antrim-forum-belfast-northern-ireland-1bd6d550.html

[FloorFiller]

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/metallica/1988/antrim-forum-belfast-northern-ireland-1bd6d550.html

fantastic setlist that. shame the only Kill 'Em All track we'll get will more than likely be Seek & Destroy to end the show

on another note, today's gym Metallica album of choice for me was St. Anger (for the larfs). it's still pretty awful and i always find it such a struggle to reach the end. a few moments that have you thinking 'yeah this isn't bad', but you've just gotta wonder what the hell they were thinking with most of it. some truly deplorable stuff on there (cough Shoot Me Again cough)

Edited May 2, 2014 by FloorFiller

[Guitargeek]

"Smashing through the boundaries, lunacy has found me, cannot stop the GLAS-TON-BURY!"

I've had that running through my head leading up to Glasto in the days when Metallica were still considered impossible!!! 2009 I twigged that. Never been able to get it out of my head

[CaledonianGonzo]

I'll drop my Growler if they're louder than DinoJu were last year.

[Keithy]

I think the fun thing might be that they are never officially announced for contract reasons so the Sat headliner will just be 'Special Guests'....which despite Metallica being nailed on as the headliners will still result in wild rumours come the Saturday that it's 'Daft Punk' or 'Prince'.

[CaledonianGonzo]

GET LUCKY COVER!

[bekimo]

As a Metallica fan for a few years now I know that they do not usually play Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters at their gigs as the die hard metal fans only want the heavier songs, yet with it not being their usual crowd I reckon they will obviously play them \m/

I've only ever seen them at festivals. They definitely play both nothing else matters and enter sandman in their festival sets.

It's only crazy people like iron maiden that don't play their best known songs at their festival gigs because you have a wide range of super fans, casual fans, and those who have no idea who they are!

[bekimo]

GET LUCKY COVER!

Ha! Brilliant!

[Brian73]

Musically, I love this band up until 1988. The Black Album was a departure, Bob Rock took off the rougher edges and taught Hetfield to sing. The album sounded so very polished, it was still Metallica, but less "progressive" musically.

In metal circles the band were huge prior to the Black Album but they were never the same again for me. I was 15 when they played here on the "And Justice For All" tour and I couldn't go to see them. By the time I actually got a chance to see them live, I'd long since been disillusioned.

So I've never seen them play live. I may have went the last time they played Belfast but it clashed with something and I couldn't go.

So now they are playing Glastonbury I for one am very happy. Too often the Pyramid headliners have disappointed me and I don't necessarily go there, but this year I will be firmly planted there on Friday & Saturday night

So that gig in 1988 is the one that got away as far as I am concerned. I used to have a wonderful bootleg of the show on cassette but its long since gone. So it would really please me if they recreated that gig by playing the same setlist. Its never going to happen but I can dream. I reckon we'll get about two thirds of it

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/metallica/1988/antrim-forum-belfast-northern-ireland-1bd6d550.html

wow that brings back memories..in 1988 I was 15 and went to the Lisburn forum with my school buddies to see see metallica on the And Justic For all tour..my first ever gig and what a show..

I also saw them at the odessey arena Belfast on the Death Magnetic tour.

You sir are in for a treat : )

[ICGenie]

but you don't really find shit music very often....you certainly don't find much, if any, metal....

From my point of view there is LOADS of shit dance music. Absolutely tons of it. But then I'm not massively into dance music. I accept it's just not to my taste.

Methinks you are confusing quality for personal preference...

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

From my point of view there is LOADS of shit dance music. Absolutely tons of it. But then I'm not massively into dance music. I accept it's just not to my taste.

Methinks you are confusing quality for personal preference...

There's much less dance music on average than most other genres. The so called "dance area" which is used to further peoples point last year consisted of everything from Sly and The Family Stone to Nas.

[autoinflate]

From my point of view there is LOADS of shit dance music. Absolutely tons of it. But then I'm not massively into dance music. I accept it's just not to my taste.

Methinks you are confusing quality for personal preference...

The quality of dance music at Glastonbury is and always has been very high. You might not like or listen to dance music, in which case how can you objectively judge its quality?

The quality of metal at Glastonbury can't really be judged either, because it's so thin on the ground that you barely ever hear it. This year there will be metallica, who undoubtedly play high quality metal, but whether metal as a genre represents high quality music is debatable, and ultimately a matter of personal preference.

Popular opinion would suggest it's not.

It's certainly not something that's ever been particularly relevant at Glastonbury or has ever found it's way into the festival organically. By this I mean what punters and traders bring to the festival, musically.

Go figure...

[Keithy]

Glastonbury should always be taking 'risks' and trying different things. Granted Metallica aren't a risk as such in that they're legendary but metal as a headliner is a risk and glastonbury should be encouraged to do this.

[ICGenie]

The quality of dance music at Glastonbury is and always has been very high. You might not like or listen to dance music, in which case how can you objectively judge its quality?

The quality of metal at Glastonbury can't really be judged either, because it's so thin on the ground that you barely ever hear it. This year there will be metallica, who undoubtedly play high quality metal, but whether metal as a genre represents high quality music is debatable, and ultimately a matter of personal preference.

Popular opinion would suggest it's not.

It's certainly not something that's ever been particularly relevant at Glastonbury or has ever found it's way into the festival organically. By this I mean what punters and traders bring to the festival, musically.

Go figure...

Ah, so I can't judge the quality of any dance music because it's not my bag but you can judge that all metal is shit despite stating that it's not your bag.

Go figure...

[ICGenie]

There's much less dance music on average than most other genres. The so called "dance area" which is used to further peoples point last year consisted of everything from Sly and The Family Stone to Nas.

I would say that from Sly to Nas is a comparatively short step and certainly wouldn't encompass the full breadth of the dance music that happens at Glasto. You have two dance areas really - the whole South East corner is predominantly dance music - plus scatterings around the rest of the site and on the main stages. If you were to put everything into the broad, record-store categories of "rock", "dance", "jazz" "world" etc I think dance would outweigh anything else by a considerable margin.

I don't hate dance music but I was quite surprised by how much of the site and stage time is given over to the genre when I first attended Glastonbury.

[JayBalls]

Go figure...

Nutshell