METALLICA Bassist Says Touring South America Is 'Special'

The Pulse of Radio reports: METALLICA recently announced an early 2010 tour of South and Central America, with the band visiting two cities — Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica — that it has never played before. The group will also hit Lima, Peru, for what promoters are expecting to be the biggest musical event ever staged in Peruvian history. Bassist Robert Trujillo was blown away when The Pulse of Radio told him that. "Wow. The largest concert in Lima, Peru," he said. "I didn't know that, so this is special. For me going down there is special anyway. The fans are always next level. Getting down into Lima and further down into Brazil, Argentina — we've got three shows at Argentina Riverplate Stadium — to get into that region of the world and check out the culture down there is very exciting for us."

The Lima show takes place on January 19, with more South American dates expected to be announced soon.

According to El Espectador, Universal Music in Mexico has set a November 30 release date for METALLICA's "Orgullo, Pasión Y Gloria - Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México" (Pride, Passion And Glory Three Nights In Mexico City) DVD, recorded on June 4, 6 and 7 of this year at Foro Sol, Ciudad de México. The DVD packaging features work of legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin (LED ZEPPELIN, AC/DC, THE WHO, IRON MAIDEN).

To promote this launch, the first 5,000 people to buy tickets for METALLICA's March 10, 2010 concert in Bogotá, Columbia will have access to the first edition of the DVD.

The band played Mexico City for the first time in a decade in June, with the group keeping the shows on its schedule despite the outbreak of swine flu that originated in the area.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD and a Mexican act called RESORTE served as the opening acts.

METALLICA has issued several DVDs in the past, including "Cliff 'Em All", "Cunning Stunts", "S&M With The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra" and "A Year And A Half".

According to MetOnTour.com, which is described as "your FREE virtual backstage pass to every METALLICA show," METALLICA will release a new DVD featuring footage from the band's Canadian performances in Quebec City, Quebec (October 31 and November 1) and Ottawa, Ontario (November 3). Drummer Lars Ulrich commented from the stage at the second Quebec City show, "I couldn't think of a better city for METALLICA to film a DVD." The concerts were filmed by the band's longtime friend and collaborator, famed video director Wayne Isham.

METALLICA has set November 23 as the release date for "Francais Por Une Nuit", or "French For One Night", the full-length concert DVD that the band filmed in Nimes, France on July 7, 2009. The show took place at a historic Roman amphitheatre called the Arenes de Nimes. In addition to the band's complete 18-song set, the disc also includes interviews with the group and five video clips shot by members of the audience. Although initially announced as a France-only release, fan demand has led to Metallica also making the set available through their web site, Metallica.com, as well as the site of the French branch of the band's record company.

A statement posted on the band's web site said, "ALL aspects of the project are French as the show was filmed, recorded, and edited with French camera and recording crews, the artwork on the package and special box set (more on that in a minute!) were created by a French design team; even the credits are in French."

The DVD will come in three formats: standard DVD or Blu-ray in a digipack including a 16-page booklet, and a deluxe limited edition box set that includes the DVD, a copy of "Death Magnetic" on CD, a T-shirt, laminated pass, and five exclusive photos.