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Date: 2000-07-18
Location: Los Angeles, CA - United States [53 shows here]
Venue: House of Blues [1 shows here]
Info: MGD Blid Date
Fan reviews: 1 - Add yours!
Author: Dan Nykolayko
Setlist: Yes
Secrets are so hard to keep... but this was a secret well worth keeping. Every couple months, MGD does a Blind Date event. What is the Blind Date you ask? Well, winners of the contests are flown out to a secret club to see a huge band in an intimate environment. I arrived at the House of Blues in LA with my adrenaline pumping hard. Yes, I had just seen the San Francisco and Los Angeles installments of the Summer Sanitarium tour, but as I like to say, STADIUMS BAD! Metallica... in a club... what more could you ask for?

There were 1,000 winners of the contest who had shown up, as well as a few celebrity poseurs. (Matt Damon?!) The crowd was already anxious when the doors opened 7:00 as they awaited the 9:00 showtime. Granted, this wasn't your typical Metallica crowd, but they sure knew how to rock out when the music began. Once the curtain opened and unveiled Metallica's equipment, the crowd got louder. As the guitars were soundchecked, they were even louder. The earplugs being handed out could've easily been used for the crowd and not the band... well, now that I think about it, Metallica's set was LOUD! Around 9:20, each band member walked out and grabbed their weapon of choice as Hetfield walked up to the mic and proclaimed, "We are Metallica! SO FUCKING WHAT!"

What followed was a raw, loud, and rough set that tore through the eardrums of the audience. Some winners were turned off by the metal onslaught and left the venue, selling their wristbands to people outside. That's what they get for entering the House of Metal!

The band ripped through a raucous cover of the Anti-Nowhere League's "So What" before barreling into an incredible performance of "Fuel." "Who were you guys expecting? Tom Jones?" Het asked the crowd before tearing into "For Whom the Bell Tolls." "Fade to Black" followed and I noticed that Kirk performs a new guitar part during the verses. Very spacey and moody... it was quite a nice addition to the classic tune. Before speeding the song up, Het said, "We're not playing anymore until you say we're metal." They were truly metal all night long. Especially when the D-Tuned guitars were brought out for a super heavy version of "Sad But True." It's amazing what a small club can do for songs. "No Leaf Clover" followed and was equally as crushing, while the jam in the middle of "King Nothing" was strong enough to knock the walls down. The new tune, "I Disappear" delivered a crushing blow to the crowd. I wish it sounded that good on record! Kirk's slide doodle before "Turn the Page" was a bit bluesy, in that Kirk Hammett way. And than there was "One." While I wish they'd pull a few more songs off 'Justice' for future tours, "One" made the crowd explode just like a landmine. Raw... just how it should be all the time. At this time, the band vacated the stage while they brought Het's stool out.

Kirk returned to the stage for a loose version of "Nothing Else Matters." James was in a very happy, joking mood the whole night, and this song was no exception. He wasn't as serious as he has been in the past during this song... what a welcome change. After "Nothing" came the best version of the most overplayed song in history. "Enter Sandman" sounded INCREDIBLE! The drums and guitars pummeled away at the crowd as they thrusted their fists in the air. Even the fact that James' pickups went out towards the end didn't ruin the song. It made for a cool, loose jam at the end and just went to show they were in a great mood and were having a great time. Picks and sticks were thrown out after the song ended. Kirk stepped up to the mic and declared, "This ain't the House of Blues. It's the House of Metal." How true it was. The orange flamed Flying V suddenly appeared on the stage. The band decided to give the crowd one more. After an 8 count on the high hat, they completely blew the crowd away with an insane performance of "Die, Die My Darling." A great song to end a great night!

I never thought I'd have the chance to see this band in a small club, but it somehow it happened. Maybe the moons were aligned or maybe I was just lucky. All the thanks go out to everyone who made it happen. For those who doubt the power of this band, you would've been blown away tonight. It's like the band dropped napalm in the middle of Sunset Blvd. Un-fucking-believable.

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