Metallica hard-wires a different set list every night

[neonate]

https://archive.md/1HIIT

[js2]

Gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/16/arts/music/metallica-set-...

[rob74]

> you play on the doughnut itself and then the fans are in the doughnut hole. And then, well, where do the drums go? Then the concept of the four drum kits — one drum kit in each of the four different directions — came up, and then it sort of went from there.

Er, how does this work in a stadium? Some stadium concerts already have premium prices for the area closer to the stage, but the others can at least see the same thing, albeit from further away. If the "donut hole" is the premium area, what do the people outside the donut get to see? Guess I'll have to wait for a video of this. But this whole "360° stage" thing smacks of "using the stadium capacity as efficiently as possible to make moar money"...

[altacc]

I've been to a stadium concert with a similar doughnut layout and the main problem was that at all times at least half the audience is looking at a band member's back, not their face. You get some connection by being close but that doesn't last when they walk over to the other side of the stage. For what connection you can get in a stadium gig I prefer to see people's front, plus a big screen, not the musicians' backs just a bit closer.

[ageitgey]

There's some videos up:

https://youtu.be/yY4w-bIH3X4

[trilbyglens]

I mean, this is Metallica. Goes without saying.

[soupfordummies]

If you think this kind of thing is cool, Phish just played seven shows in a row at Madison Square Garden without repeating a single song!

King Gizzard does this kind of thing of too and it's awesome. It's sometimes kind of a bummer if you go see a large act multiple times and it's pretty much the same set.

[jpnc]

I remember reading Mike Portnoy doing that for Dream Theater while he was in the band (not sure if they still do it). Not just mixing up the set list for the venue repeats but also taking into account that some fans like to go to neighboring venues and wanted to keep it fresh for them too.

[niek_pas]

I was reminded of that too. I’m fairly certain they stopped doing that when Portnoy left.

[ainiriand]

As much hate as Lars gets he is a big part of Metallica's success.

[Xenoamorphous]

Is it because of the Napster thing? Or there's more to it.

[conradfr]

It's not as elaborate as what Metallica does but the Red Hot Chili Peppers change their setlist every show, Anthony Kiedis handwrites them before the show.

[mike503]

If only they'd play Higher Ground. I've seen them multiple times now in different locations and had different setlists (mostly; I found that they do resemble each other a lot) but still not that one damn song!

[bigtex]

To celebrate this new tour fans should watch their music videos on YouTube with ad block enabled. RIP Napster.

[bigbacaloa]

What all the set lists have in common is that Lars plays them badly.

[toni]

and the bass tracks are too high

[msoad]

This reminds me of pg’s submarine article[1]. NYT is being paid to promote Metallica’s tour. Possibly because not enough old people want to go to an expensive concert and young people think Metallica is an Instagram filter or something…

[1] http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

[version_five]

That's a good article, amazing how relevant it still is today (18 years later, though paradoxically not much has changed)

  The problem with this article is not just that it originated in a PR firm. The whole tone is bogus. This is the tone of someone writing down to their audience.

[jahsome]

How did you determine nyt is being paid to promote the tour?