Metallica World Wired Tour 2017 with Avenged Sevenfold & Gorjira.

Metallica (Unforgiven)

Fans walking from the train to the stadium sporting Metallica gear.

So much happened this week in rock I am not sure where to start? Let me just start with the Metallica concert wow, what a ride it was, quite the adventure and I made some great memories I will always be able to look back on and smile.

The week started off a little rocky when I had been planning to take a trip to Seattle for the Metallica World Wired Tour at Century Link Field August 9, 2017. I had won tickets and a hotel stay from our local radio station and I was looking forward to the trip and to see Metallica. I hadn't seen Metallica live since 1988 with the Monsters of Rock Tour with Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, Kingdom Come, and of course Metallica when they were just coming out on the scene. I had won tickets back in 1988 for the Monsters of Rock first time ever winning something I considered big and when I saw the radio station was doing a Monsters of Rock contest to win Metallica tickets for their Word Wired Tour I had to enter. It is ironic but I was ecstatic to have won tickets to Metallica for the second time on the sister station from the Monsters of Rock those 29 years ago.

As luck would have it my car started acting up and overheating so there was no way I was going to make it over for the show? I was disappointed, to say the least. I also had a concert my promotions company was putting on just 2 days after the Metallica concert and I was rushing around trying to put the finishing touches on that show and I wasn't sure if I could swing the show? I wanted someone to put the prize to good use so I put the package deal up for sale for less than half of what it was worth as to give someone wanting to go to the show an inexpensive way to go? Needless to say, all hell broke loose once I put them up for sale because I had won the tickets? I guess when I win something I am expected to just give it away for free to someone and not get to even enjoy the prize at all like someone else would? Anyway, I decided to sit on the tickets after that if I could not go, just too much drama for me to want to deal with. I made a post on my Facebook page explaining my dilemma and to my surprise, I had many offers to drive me over to the show. My good friend, my son and myself headed out of town early that Wednesday morning embarking upon an adventure of a lifetime.

We arrived at our hotel with plenty of time to get ready to head downtown Seattle to see Metallica. We ended up riding the train from the hotel to save on expensive parking prices at the arena. I swear I hadn't done so much walking in years? At one point I couldn't take another step my back and feet were killing me but Metallica was screaming my name and got my second wind to dredge on. The train dropped us off in front of Century Link Field but with the overpasses and on and off ramps leading to the stadium we had to do some extra walking around it all so it seemed a lot further than it looked? We met up with my friend's son at a local brewery across from the stadium before the show started then finally we made our way to our seats to get ready for the show.

The train ride to the show pretty calm and relaxed but the ride back to the hotel standing room only.

Gorjira up first.

Gorjira opened the show and played almost an hour set, this was the first time seeing this band but I really enjoyed their set. Then the all mighty Avenged Sevenfold took the stage this was the second time seeing this awesome band live, and I couldn't wait to see them again. They played all their top hits and they rocked the house. I was a little disappointed, it seemed to me that the sound could have been a little off but it really didn't matter they killed it.

The anticipation was building for Metallica then all of the sudden the lights dimmed and they exploded onto the stage. They played all their hits from the 80's that everyone remembers and also some of their new tunes off the new album. Century Link Field is a huge stadium but with the visual effects and the big screens, there wasn't a bad seat in the house. The stage performance was something from out of this world those guys sure know how to put on a show with a fireworks display, Lazor lights and the great visual effects this concert was a must see and for many a check off their bucket list. A very big reason this show was not to be missed is the fact that you may not get another chance to see them live again? Rumor, has it this was going to be their last world tour? Let's hope this rumor is just that, a rumor. The Seattle concert August 9, 2017, was the last U.S. date on the tour. The band is heading into Canada for a few dates to wrap up the tour.

There is one more thing I would like to mention and another reason the guys in Metallica are so awesome. A few months ago a local Spokane Metallica Tribute Band, Blistered Earth had performed a show in Portland, OR after the show at their hotel, some thieves stole the band's trailer with all their gear in it. For a struggling band that gear is their livelihood and hard to replace not to mention the cost to replace everything that was lost? A local news team broadcasted the story to get the word out not knowing how far the story would actually go? By some miracle, James Hetfield just so happened to hear the story and Metallica experiencing a similar loss when they were starting out decided to replace all of Blistered Earth's gear. Oh, and that's not all, there's more they also invited the guys from Blistered Earth to the Seattle concert and the band that plays tribute to Metallica finally got to meet their idols, how cool is that?

Blistered Earth with Metallica.

Photo Credit: Blistered Earth

I have to say this show was one of the best concerts I have been to in a long time it gave you that aww moment you always hope for at every concert. The experience and the adventure will live on for a long time to come. Support your local music scene and get out there and buy those concert tickets, you never know if it will be the last chance you may have to see an awesome band you've been dying to see? Rock On!

The train ride back to the hotel after the show was a little crazy, we were lucky to get a seat but we were all packed in like sardines.

The closest I got to getting a picture with Metallica maybe one day I will get a up close and personal meet n greet with Metallica like my friends in Blistered Earth? One can only hope.