Californian heavy metal band Metallica shook the genteel English countryside (and a few middle-aged hippies and a lot of left-wing, middle-class, BBC-type snobs) last night when they became the first metal band ever to play Glastonbury, the world's biggest music festival, since its inception in 1970.
The band took to the famous Pyramid Stage at the festival at Worthy Farm near Pilton, Somerset, in the shadow of Glastonbury Tor, at 10.09 pm in front of a vast crowd and played some of their most famous songs in a performance that lasted just over 90 minutes, which was also shown live on BBC2.
Afterwards, the band said how grateful they were to perform at the world's greatest music festival.
Drummer Lars Ulrich said: "That was sensational. I don't remember much of it... the energy was fantastic."
Speaking to the BBC's Jo Whiley backstage after their set, Ulrich said he had been at Glastonbury since Friday and wanted to immerse himself in the experience.
"We have one shot, you never know if you'll be invited back," he said.
"I want to soak up every second of this thing. We would love to come back."
Metallica: Glastonbury experience was 'sensational'
By Mark Savage
BBC News entertainment reporter
29 June 2014
Metallica on stage at Glastonbury last night
There have been mixed reactions to headline act Metallica at the Glastonbury Festival, as Lizo Mzimba reports
Heavy metal band Metallica won over new fans as they headlined on Glastonbury's famous Pyramid Stage on Saturday.
The band played for 90 minutes, with highlights including One, Cyanide and an extended version of Master Of Puppets.
The quartet are the first metal act to headline the festival since its inception in 1970.
Drummer Lars Ulrich said: "That was sensational. I don't remember much of it... the energy was fantastic."
Speaking to the BBC's Jo Whiley backstage after their set, Ulrich said he had been at Glastonbury since Friday and wanted to immerse himself in the experience.
"We have one shot, you never know if you'll be invited back," he said.
Metallica opened their Glastonbury set with Creeping Death
"I want to soak up every second of this thing. We would love to come back."
He added that he was looking forward to Sunday's acts, including Dolly Parton and Kasabian.
"I'll be the last one (here)... the one walking round with a garbage bag on Tuesday."
Asked to describe his Glastonbury experience in one sentence, Ulrich simply said: "Other-worldly."
Even the band's detractors would have been hard-pushed to deny their musicianship.
Fans and supporters lined the back of the stage as they ended the main set with Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman.
"Metallica. Glastonbury. Together at last," declared songwriter James Hetfield. "That felt good."
Returning for an encore of Whiskey in the Jar and Seek and Destroy, the band launched dozens of black Metallica-branded weather balloons into the audience, triggering a giant game of dodgeball between the audience and security guards.
Lars Ulrich told the BBC that headlining the festival was "the biggest honour"
The band played an encore of Whiskey in the Jar and Seek and Destroy
"Metallica loves you, Glastonbury," said Hetfield as the band took their final bow.
"You made us feel so good. Thank you for having us."
Taking the microphone, Ulrich added: "There's no place on this earth like this beautiful Glastonbury Festival. Thank you for letting us be part of your experience and we hope to see you one more time."
Formed 33 years ago, the group's best-known songs include Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and Master of Puppets.
Prior to their arrival on the Pyramid Stage, the band played a clip of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, in tribute to actor Eli Wallach, who died this week.
Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold, which features in the classic Western, has been Metallica's introduction music for many years.
The band also addressed criticism of Hetfield's involvement with pro-hunting groups head-on, showing an extended clip of an English fox hunt, soundtracked by Sweet's glam rock classic Fox on the Run.
At the climax of the hunt, four men in bear costumes shot the riders from their horses.
The bear's heads were removed to reveal the four grinning members of Metallica.
Watch last night's performance:
Metallica :Live At Glastonbury 2014 BBC [Full Concert] - YouTube
In the field
Metallica rocked Glastonbury with a strange mix of arrogance and humility.
Metallica set list
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Wherever I May Roam
Sad But True
Fade to Black
Cyanide
The Unforgiven
The Memory Remains
One
Master of Puppets
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Encore:
Whiskey in the Jar
Seek and Destroy
Speaking to the crowd 15 minutes into the set, Hetfield said: "Glasto - Metallica is grateful to be invited to such an event."
They knew they had something to prove - but they were also representing a genre of music that, they feel, has been unfairly maligned.
"We're very proud to be representing the heavier side of music," said Hetfield, dedicating a song to "all the UK bands dreaming of playing this stage" and uttering the cry: "Do you want heavy?'"
The answer was a definitive "yes".
The band didn't hold back, delivering a sensory assault of punchy power riffs from the outset.
But it wasn't just, as one critic suggested, "loud one, loud one, loud one, encore" - with moments of acoustic reflection and supple musicianship amidst the double kick drums.
In the end, Metallica did what they came to do - win over new fans.
And for metalheads, the show will have been much more resonant than the Rolling Stones' headline set was for their audience last year.
The 2014 Glastonbury Festival has taken place at the weekend
Jack White played the famous Pyramid Stage
The Manic Street Preachers performed as part of Saturday's line-up
Lana Del Ray was also a highlight of the second day of the festival
Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant played a set inspired by folk songs and world music
Kelis was performing at her third Glastonbury
Crowds endured heavy showers throughout Saturday with parts of Worthy Farm becoming a swamp
BBC News - Metallica: Glastonbury experience was 'sensational'
The band took to the famous Pyramid Stage at the festival at Worthy Farm near Pilton, Somerset, in the shadow of Glastonbury Tor, at 10.09 pm in front of a vast crowd and played some of their most famous songs in a performance that lasted just over 90 minutes, which was also shown live on BBC2.
Afterwards, the band said how grateful they were to perform at the world's greatest music festival.
Drummer Lars Ulrich said: "That was sensational. I don't remember much of it... the energy was fantastic."
Speaking to the BBC's Jo Whiley backstage after their set, Ulrich said he had been at Glastonbury since Friday and wanted to immerse himself in the experience.
"We have one shot, you never know if you'll be invited back," he said.
"I want to soak up every second of this thing. We would love to come back."
Metallica: Glastonbury experience was 'sensational'
By Mark Savage
BBC News entertainment reporter
29 June 2014
Metallica on stage at Glastonbury last night
There have been mixed reactions to headline act Metallica at the Glastonbury Festival, as Lizo Mzimba reports
Heavy metal band Metallica won over new fans as they headlined on Glastonbury's famous Pyramid Stage on Saturday.
The band played for 90 minutes, with highlights including One, Cyanide and an extended version of Master Of Puppets.
The quartet are the first metal act to headline the festival since its inception in 1970.
Drummer Lars Ulrich said: "That was sensational. I don't remember much of it... the energy was fantastic."
Speaking to the BBC's Jo Whiley backstage after their set, Ulrich said he had been at Glastonbury since Friday and wanted to immerse himself in the experience.
"We have one shot, you never know if you'll be invited back," he said.
Metallica opened their Glastonbury set with Creeping Death
"I want to soak up every second of this thing. We would love to come back."
He added that he was looking forward to Sunday's acts, including Dolly Parton and Kasabian.
"I'll be the last one (here)... the one walking round with a garbage bag on Tuesday."
Asked to describe his Glastonbury experience in one sentence, Ulrich simply said: "Other-worldly."
Even the band's detractors would have been hard-pushed to deny their musicianship.
Fans and supporters lined the back of the stage as they ended the main set with Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman.
"Metallica. Glastonbury. Together at last," declared songwriter James Hetfield. "That felt good."
Returning for an encore of Whiskey in the Jar and Seek and Destroy, the band launched dozens of black Metallica-branded weather balloons into the audience, triggering a giant game of dodgeball between the audience and security guards.
Lars Ulrich told the BBC that headlining the festival was "the biggest honour"
The band played an encore of Whiskey in the Jar and Seek and Destroy
"Metallica loves you, Glastonbury," said Hetfield as the band took their final bow.
"You made us feel so good. Thank you for having us."
Taking the microphone, Ulrich added: "There's no place on this earth like this beautiful Glastonbury Festival. Thank you for letting us be part of your experience and we hope to see you one more time."
Formed 33 years ago, the group's best-known songs include Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and Master of Puppets.
Prior to their arrival on the Pyramid Stage, the band played a clip of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, in tribute to actor Eli Wallach, who died this week.
Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold, which features in the classic Western, has been Metallica's introduction music for many years.
The band also addressed criticism of Hetfield's involvement with pro-hunting groups head-on, showing an extended clip of an English fox hunt, soundtracked by Sweet's glam rock classic Fox on the Run.
At the climax of the hunt, four men in bear costumes shot the riders from their horses.
The bear's heads were removed to reveal the four grinning members of Metallica.
Watch last night's performance:
Metallica :Live At Glastonbury 2014 BBC [Full Concert] - YouTube
In the field
Metallica rocked Glastonbury with a strange mix of arrogance and humility.
Metallica set list
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Wherever I May Roam
Sad But True
Fade to Black
Cyanide
The Unforgiven
The Memory Remains
One
Master of Puppets
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Encore:
Whiskey in the Jar
Seek and Destroy
Speaking to the crowd 15 minutes into the set, Hetfield said: "Glasto - Metallica is grateful to be invited to such an event."
They knew they had something to prove - but they were also representing a genre of music that, they feel, has been unfairly maligned.
"We're very proud to be representing the heavier side of music," said Hetfield, dedicating a song to "all the UK bands dreaming of playing this stage" and uttering the cry: "Do you want heavy?'"
The answer was a definitive "yes".
The band didn't hold back, delivering a sensory assault of punchy power riffs from the outset.
But it wasn't just, as one critic suggested, "loud one, loud one, loud one, encore" - with moments of acoustic reflection and supple musicianship amidst the double kick drums.
In the end, Metallica did what they came to do - win over new fans.
And for metalheads, the show will have been much more resonant than the Rolling Stones' headline set was for their audience last year.
The 2014 Glastonbury Festival has taken place at the weekend
Jack White played the famous Pyramid Stage
The Manic Street Preachers performed as part of Saturday's line-up
Lana Del Ray was also a highlight of the second day of the festival
Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant played a set inspired by folk songs and world music
Kelis was performing at her third Glastonbury
Crowds endured heavy showers throughout Saturday with parts of Worthy Farm becoming a swamp
BBC News - Metallica: Glastonbury experience was 'sensational'
Last edited:
