METALLICA: Pro-Shot Uniondale, Chicago Footage Available On YouTube

Official Metallica.com footage from METALLICA's concerts in Uniondale, New York (Jan. 29, 2009) and Chicago, Illinois (Jan. 27, 2009) can be viewed below. The clips include footage from meet-and-greet sessions, backstage jams and the actual performances.

As rumored, METALLICA will reportedly play a surprise show at Stubb's in Austin, Texas on March 20, according to The Austin Chronicle. The newspaper says that it's received definite confirmation of the show, which will take place during the South By Southwest music festival and be part of a launch event for the new "Guitar Hero: Metallica" video game. A representative for the festival would not confirm METALLICA's appearance, however, and a publicist for game publisher Activision likewise told The Pulse of Radio last week that nothing could be confirmed.

THE SILVERSUN PICKUPS are officially confirmed to appear at the "Guitar Hero" event, along with a "special guest" DJ.

If METALLICA does perform, it will be a rare club appearance for the band. Stubb's hold just 2,100 people. South By Southwest attendees will be admitted first, with admission based on space availability.

A METALLICA appearance would make sense since the highly anticipated "Guitar Hero: Metallica" arrives in stores on March 29 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. The PS2 and Wii editions of the game will most likely follow in early May. The game contains 28 METALLICA tracks, along with tunes from FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS and others.

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo thinks that games like the "Guitar Hero" series are encouraging players to pick up instruments for real. "It's great that now, guitar sales are going up in guitar shops, 'cause for a while it was like turntables were selling more than basses or guitars," he said. "People weren't really into hard rock or metal. So hopefully they trade in at some point, at some point they kind of graduate from the gamer instruments to the real thing."

METALLICA will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on April 4.

The band had to scrap the final show on its latest European tour, in Stockholm, Sweden last Sunday (March 8),when frontman James Hetfield was stricken with a suspected case of food poisoning.

January 29, 2009 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York:

01. MeetAndGreet
02. Rehearsals
03. The Thing That Should Not Be

January 27, 2009 at Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois:

01. MeetAndGreet
02. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
03. Seek & Destroy (Cut)