You were probably among those who didn't get tickets to Metallica's upcoming "S&M2" anniversary concerts in San Francisco. In fact, the first show celebrating 1999's symphonic S&M live album sold out so quickly that some fans suspected online bots were involved.

Now the group has announced that this commemorative performance will air on Oct. 9 at some 3,000 movie theaters around the globe. The list of participating theaters hasn't yet been confirmed, but tickets are reportedly set to go on sale Aug. 7. Meanwhile, Metallica has set up a dedicated site for more information.

They will again perform with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, this time under the direction of conductor Michael Tilson. But Metallica aren't simply recreating S&M. They will also play updated symphonic renditions of more recent songs, during a concert that also marks the grand opening of the Chase Center in Mission Bay.

Metallica's interest in marrying their songs with strings stemmed, in part, from drummer Lars Ulrich's love of Deep Purple's 1969 Concerto for Group and Orchestra. Their original performances with the San Francisco Symphony were conducted by Michael Kamen of Pink Floyd fame.

The second "S&M2" show takes place on Sept. 8, two days after the first. Metallica are playing a string of European dates between then and now; afterward, they'll head to Australia and New Zealand. Fans can get tickets for those upcoming dates here.
 
 

See Metallica Among Classic Rock's Best Selling Albums

The Rush / Metallica Team-Up That Slipped Away

More From Ultimate Classic Rock