METALLICA's 'M72' Tour Travels With 64 Guitars, 36 Of Which Need To Be Show-Ready

Jeff Wagner of WCCO-TV, the CBS television affiliate that provides local news to viewers in Minnesota, has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the massive effort that it took to put on the two METALLICA shows at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis over the weekend.

According to the report, METALLICA's touring crew includes 156 people, with 40 steelworkers, 168 local production hands and 92 truck drivers also helping to ensure things run smoothly. Another 800 people are employed locally to support each tour stop.

Jon-Michael Marino, the tour coordinator, told WCCO that there are four drum kits on the stage with two backups in the truck. There are 64 guitars and bass that go on the road, and 36 of them need to be show-ready (12 per band member). There are 6,000 guitar picks used or given out per concert and only 25 drumsticks are used or given away per performance.

Asked why so many guitars need to be ready for each show, Marino said: "Across, let's call it 15-16 songs, there's various tuning. There's also things that happen naturally like strings breaking, guitars going out of tune that have to be swapped in the moment."

In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city — first in Europe, then in North America, back in Europe, and now once again in North America — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.

Touring alongside METALLICA are PANTERA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MAMMOTH WVH and ICE NINE KILLS. For last weekend's Minnesota shows, the Friday lineup featured PANTERA and MAMMOTH WVH, with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and ICE NINE KILLS playing on Sunday.

A number of METALLICA-themed events took place on Saturday, including bowling, axe throwing, films about METALLICA, "Name That Tune" competitions and a performance by AND ONE FOR ALL, in between the METALLICA performances.

METALLICA will close out the 2024 touring season with four shows in Mexico City at the end of September.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.

The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.