See Metallica Play "Seek & Destroy" at Surprise First Show Back | Page 2 | Revolver

See Metallica Play "Seek & Destroy" at Surprise First Show Back

Thrash titans played 16 songs to 500 fans in San Francisco club

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Up until last night, one of our most anticipated shows of the year was Metallica's headlining set at Louder Than Life Festival on September 24th, which would've marked their big return to the in-person stage for the first time since before the pandemic began. However, last night (September 16th), the band made an even cooler reintroduction to the live environment. 

The thrash titans played a surprise show at the 500-capacity San Francisco club, The Independent, where they cranked through 16 songs to just a few hundred lucky fans who got wind of the gig when Metallica announced the show on social media. 

"Hey! Gonna let you in on a little secret," the band wrote in a post that's since been removed. "We're playing tonight at The Independent in downtown SF. Grab a $20 bill and get your ass to the box office right now! Proof of vaxx is required to get a wristband and it's gonna sell out fast. One ticket per person, cash only!"

Shortly thereafter, the band announced that the show had quickly sold out, and the lucky fans who did manage to snag tickets got to witness Metallica play a career-spanning set that leaned heavily on the classics in an intimate environment. 

Notably, they opened the show with "Whiplash," a song from their 1983 debut Kill 'Em All, for the first time ever, according to setlist.fm. From there, they ripped through four Ride the Lightning cuts, a couple tracks off Master of Puppets and the "Black Album," one ...And Justice for All song, two Reload tunes, two more from their most recent album, 2016's Hardwired... to Self-Destruct, and even "No Leaf Clover" from their S&M live album

Lastly, the band capped off the whole evening with another Kill 'Em All treasure, "Seek & Destroy," which you can watch them perform above thanks to a front-row fan who recorded it in high-definition. Check out the full setlist below and try to contain your jealousy if you weren't one of the fortunate 500. 

Metallica's set list at The Independent on September 16th, 2021:
01. Whiplash
02. Ride The Lightning
03. The Memory Remains
04. Now That We're Dead
05. Holier Than Thou
06. No Leaf Clover
07. Sad But True
08. Moth Into Flame
09. Fade To Black
10. For Whom The Bell Tolls
11. Creeping Death
12. One
13. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

14. Battery
15. Fuel
16. Seek & Destroy