METALLICA's 30th-Anniversary Kickoff Concert: More Photos, Video Footage Available

Jason Newsted (METALLICA, VOIVOD, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM),John Marshall (METAL CHURCH, former METALLICA guitar tech and occasional James Hetfield fill-in),Sean Harris (DIAMOND HEAD),Brian Tatler (DIAMOND HEAD),Biff Byford (SAXON) and APOCALYPTICA joined METALLICA on stage last night (Monday, December 5) for the first of four intimate shows at the 1,200-capacity Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

According to Benjy Eisen of RollingStone.com, "Audience members had to win a fan club lottery to get tickets, and most people had to travel a great distance. Immediately upon entering the building, it was apparent this wasn't just another METALLICA concert; this was something special. The band literally transformed the venue into their own banquet hall, complete with the Fillmore's Poster Room serving as a makeshift Metallica Museum featuring artwork, instruments and other group memorabilia.

"Frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich strolled onto the stage early to explain the proceedings: 'If you don't know by now, METALLICA is throwing a party, and you're all invited,' said Hetfield. He handed the mic to comedian Jim Breuer, who hosted several 'game shows' using contestants plucked from the audience. The first competition focused on band trivia while a second game was entitled 'Name That Riff.'"

After opening sets from THE SOUL REBELS brass band and Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA, METALLICA rocked the capacity crowd with a 21-song set which featured selections from all periods of the band's career, including a previously unreleased track from the "Death Magnetic" sessions called "Hate Train".

In his review of last night's show, Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune writes, "The overall feel of the concert was very informal more like a bar band (albeit, an unusually talented one) performing before family and friends than that of a multiplatinum act playing for salivating fans. In that sense, it felt so drastically different from the well-rehearsed product one gets with METALLICA's regular arena show.

"The band members took long breaks between many songs, casually talked among themselves and with the audience, and invited several guests onstage including one fan, who played guitar on 'Wherever I May Roam', and former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted."

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. The Call Of Ktulu
02. No Remorse (full version)
03. The Shortest Straw
04. Leper Messiah
05. The Day That Never Comes
06. Carpe Diem Baby (first time performed live)
07. Hate Train (previously unreleased song from "Death Magnetic" sessions)
08. Please Don't Judas Me (acoustic; NAZARETH cover)
09. Wherever I May Roam (with fan-club member John Dent)
10. Sad But True (with John Marshall)
11. (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth (impromptu jam by Robert Trujillo)
12. No Leaf Clover (with APOCALYPTICA)
13. One (with APOCALYPTICA)
14. Harvester Of Sorrow (with Jason Newsted)
15. Damage, Inc. (with Jason Newsted)
16. Motorcycle Man (with Biff Byford)
17. The Prince (with Sean Harris, Brian Tatler)
18. It's Electric (with Sean Harris, Brian Tatler)
19. Helpess (with Sean Harris, Brian Tatler)
20. Am I Evil? (with Sean Harris, Brian Tatler)
21. Seek & Destroy (with everyone)

Check out photos of the concert at METALLICA's Facebook page. Some of the pictures can be seen below.

James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio that METALLICA hoped to make the shows special for the people attending. "It is a fan celebration everyone who's come along the METALLICA ride for 30 years and we're constantly wanting to give to the fans what they don't normally get from some other band or some other connection," he said. "So these four shows at the Fillmore are something like that."

The other three shows will take place on December 7, December 9, and December 10, with special guests and events, rare songs, varied setlists and more.

Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio that he hoped Ozzy Osbourne and MOTRHEAD bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister would be among the guests at the shows.

METALLICA plans to begin work on its next studio album early in 2012. The group recently released its collaborative album with Lou Reed, called "Lulu", which flopped saleswise and earned the quartet the worst reviews of its career.

The band has booked several European shows next summer, including one at a venue in Denmark that used to be a prison, at which it will perform its self-titled 1991 effort, a.k.a. "the black album," in its entirety.

METALLICA was formed when Ulrich, who had moved to Los Angeles from Denmark, placed an ad in a local paper called The Recycler looking for other musicians to play with. The ad was answered by guitarists James Hetfield and Hugh Tanner of the band LEATHER CHARM.

METALLICA officially formed in October 1981 and the band's first recording was "Hit The Lights" for the compilation "Metal Massacre".

Bay Area DJ Ron Quintana came up with the group's name: he was debating between using "Metallica" and "Metal Mania" for the name of his radio show and Ulrich encouraged him to use "Metal Mania" so that he could use "Metallica" for his new band.

METALLICA's first full lineup featuring Hetfield, Ulrich, guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney played its first gig on March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, California.

Photos below courtesy of METALLICA's Facebook page

Photos below by "Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone