Wed, 15 Sep 2010 4:57p.m.
Next week the world’s biggest metal band comes to Christchurch.
In my job as an entertainment reporter I've seen and heard some pretty weird stuff, but I never, ever thought I'd type that sentence.
Metallica are huge. They are to the metal world what U2 is to generic rock. They are big. They are huge. They are gigantic.
Cliff Burton era Metallica
They've sold over 52 million albums in America alone. Going on how obsessed with Metallica the Kiwi fans are, we probably equal that number. Personally, I've bought the Black Album about five times. Ride The Lightning three times. I lend them out and they never come back.
Worldwide, they've moved over 100 million albums. That's heaps more than Opshop even.
And they're coming to Christchurch, little old Christchurch.
I am so happy about this that a blog can't do it justice. For one thing, they're here because of the fans. And not in that cheesy 30-Seconds-to-Mars-acceptance-speech-we're-here-'cause-of-the-fans speech, but because the fans wrote them a petition saying 'WE WANT YOU IN CHRISTCHURCH'.
And they came.
They are going to fly to New Zealand two weeks early, not to play in Wellington or Auckland… but in Christchurch.
So there was this earthquake...
What's even more amazing is that after the earthquake, bands have been cancelling gigs willy nilly. I am not sure if they're afraid of the "tone" of the place ("It's too soon?"), or about not selling tickets. But this isn't Metallica's worry. They're coming, and they're playing, and they're going to rock.
I will be there. I will be talking to them. I will be filming some of the gig for ya'll.
Stay tuned.