Watch: Metallica make history with first Sphere show

Watch: Metallica make history with first Sphere show

Metallica have made the Sphere their own, and they’re not playing the same set twice.

Metallica became the first metal band in history to play Las Vegas’ Sphere on Thursday night, kicking off their 24-show Life Burns Faster residency with a set packed with deep cuts, old favourites and a few songs that had been sitting on the shelf for years. A setlist and show destined to be a hit, Brad the Boss managed to skive a couple of tickets and fly over, and has just enough time to rub it in the Morning Rumble’s faces - classic big boss antics.

And if anyone thought the Sphere residency would mean hearing the same greatest hits every night, Metallica had other ideas.

Opening night came out swinging

Opening night came out swinging with “Battery”, followed by “Creeping Death”, “Sad But True”, “Wherever I May Roam” and “Master of Puppets”. But tucked among the big hitters were some seriously dusty tracks.

“Now That We’re Dead” returned for the first time since 2021, while “...And Justice for All” hadn’t been played live since 2014. “The Day That Never Comes” also made the cut from Death Magnetic.

Then came night two.

Metallica completely changed the set, opening with “Blackened” and pulling out “Devil’s Dance” for the first time since 2008. They also brought back “The Outlaw Torn”, which hadn’t been played since 2019.

Metallica have promised no-repeat weekends, meaning fans catching both shows aren’t simply watching the same gig with a different visual backdrop.

Mate just get me on the flight over.