Watch Footage of Metallica’s Final Rehearsal Before Their U.S. Tour
Metallica invited a few hundred friends to the final rehearsal for the North American leg of their WorldWired tour — and let the rest of the world watch — all while raising money for charity.
The event, called "Now That We're Live" in honor of "Now That We're Dead," the latest single from their current Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct LP, was held at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, where they're scheduled to play this tour's first U.S. date tonight (May 10). While only a handful of fan club members were selected to actually be in attendance, the band opened up viewing to fans around the world via Facebook Live, where they broadcast their four-song set as it happened.
"We are psyched to share some of our rehearsals and final pre-production run-through with our friends around the world," enthused drummer Lars Ulrich in a press release announcing the stream. "We hope you'll come hang with us as we fire up the engines for the North American Summer run."
The whole thing served as a benefit for Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation, which was unveiled earlier this year as a way of raising money for school music programs, food banks and "a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities that the individual band members support." Viewers were encouraged to donate to the initiative while watching; ultimately, the "Now That We're Live" stream raised more than $3,000 for the cause.
"It's great to be back here," Ulrich told Baltimore's ABC affiliate. "The memory is a little foggy but Hammerjacks 30 years ago. It’s just amazing that people still care. We’re like little kids still just running around going ‘Oh my God.' Running around with a rock 'n' roll band in your early 50s is kind of pretty cool, pretty cool."
Metallica "Now That We're Live," 5/8/17, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
"Atlas, Rise!"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Now That We're Dead"
"Battery"
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