It’s been an incredible twelve years since Metallica last tore up an Australian stage — back in 2013 at the final date of the Soundwave Festival, closing the curtain on a decade-defining tour. The Rockpit was there then, and fittingly, we’re here again tonight as history repeats itself in the loudest way possible. Perth, once the final stop of that tour, now finds itself opening the Australian and New Zealand leg of the mighty M72 World Tour. There’s a poetic symmetry in that, and the sense of anticipation across the city has been nothing short of electric. You could feel it building all week — from the moment James Hetfield was spotted soaking up the Rottnest sun, to Rob Trujillo stopping to sign autographs for fans in the hotel. Perth has turned into a sea of black shirts and devil horns; metalheads of all ages have descended like an army, filling every bar, hotel, and pub with the sound of clinking glasses and Metallica riffs.
The excitement began long before the first chord. Damage Inc. warmed up the faithful with a blistering gig on Friday Night, beers flowed endlessly in Northbridge and the City, and the Metallica Pop-Up Store became ground zero for fan devotion — queues filled Wellington Street with waits of up to four hours. Exclusive Perth tour items were gone within half an hour. Even a brief shower the night before couldn’t dampen spirits, and with the skies clearing and perfect weather forecast, the stage was set for one of the biggest nights in recent Perth rock history. After a short break since their last performance at Dreamforce 2025 in San Francisco, the band is back, recharged and ready to unleash hell. Add in Evanescence’s storming warm-up show a few nights earlier, and the fire had been well and truly lit. Few rock bands on Earth these days could dream of filling a stadium like Optus — but Metallica isn’t just any band.
Opening the night with a burst of unfiltered energy, Suicidal Tendencies set the tone with a furious mix of punk attitude and metallic groove. Frontman Mike Muir bounded across the stage like a man possessed, leading the charge through classics like “You Can’t Bring Me Down” and the classic “Institutionalized.” The band’s youthful ferocity belied their veteran status, the crowd feeding off every riff and every shout. It was chaos in the best possible way — the perfect ignition before the storm that was to come.
Then came Evanescence, delivering a set that was nothing short of a masterclass in light and shade. Amy Lee’s voice soared effortlessly across the stadium — haunting, powerful, and emotional all at once. From the ethereal opening of “Going Under” to the thunderous climax of “Call Me When You’re Sober,” their sound was cinematic and commanding. The interplay between piano-led delicacy and towering guitars created waves of tension and release that captivated the audience. If Suicidal Tendencies brought the raw fire, Evanescence countered with dark elegance. “The End of the Dream” silenced tens of thousands, Lee’s voice echoing like a prayer under the stage lights, before “Bring Me to Life” detonated the stadium in unison. The contrast — fragile beauty giving way to full-blown catharsis — showed a band completely in command of dynamics and emotion. It was dramatic, immersive, and perfectly suited to the scale of the night — a performance that proved Evanescence still occupy a rare space between gothic grace and arena power, the power of light and the forces of darkness.
After a delayed start that only added to twelve years of anticipation, the lights finally dimmed, and the roar that greeted Metallica felt like a tidal wave. The opening strains of “Creeping Death” cut through the air and unleashed a lifetime of energy. The crowd erupted in unison, fists raised, devil horns high, as if they were reliving the decades of riffs that defined the genre itself. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” followed, the thunderous opening bells ringing out like a call to arms as the stadium moved in shadowy unison. When “Holier Than Thou” hit, it was all attitude — Hetfield spitting lyrics with venomous precision, Lars locking in with a sledgehammer groove, and the crowd chanting every word back at them.
Flames burst skyward for “Fuel,” and the place quite literally ignited. Then came “The Unforgiven,” the tempo easing into a moment of reflection, gold lights washing over a crowd that sang as one. “Wherever I May Roam” had that familiar hypnotic sway, a reminder that Metallica’s community is global — a family reunited under one sky. Mid-set, Kirk and Rob took a playful detour, jamming through Budgie’s “Crash Course in Brain Surgery” before cheekily slipping into a piece of John Butler Trio’s “Zebra,” a local nod that won huge cheers.
The emotional heartbeat of the night came with “The Day That Never Comes.” Its haunting intro shimmered across the stadium, building slowly until it erupted into light and fury. It was cinematic — tension and release, melody and mayhem in perfect balance. Then “Moth Into Flame” sent sparks — literal and metaphorical — into the night, its pulsing lights and scorching tempo turning Optus into a maelstrom.
“Sad But True” arrived like an earthquake, the low-end rumble shaking the ground beneath tens of thousands of stomping feet. The band was locked in, pure muscle and menace. Then came a welcome breather — “Nothing Else Matters.” That opening guitar line drew the entire crowd into a single, collective sigh, the stadium lights twinkling like stars as voices joined Hetfield’s.
Moments later, “Seek & Destroy” tore the roof off. Beach balls bounced across the crowd, and as Hetfield barked “Searching… Seek and Destroy!” it felt like the whole of Perth answered back. It was raw, joyful chaos — a celebration of the band’s roots. They even teased something from Kill ’Em All in spirit, the old-school thrash energy reminding everyone where this all began. Somewhere in the crowd, fans held up signs to Sean Updall — a moment of shared memory and emotion that spoke volumes about the community Metallica has built over decades.
The newer “Lux Æterna” kept the pace brutal, all precision and speed, proving that Metallica’s modern fire still burns bright. And then came the heavy artillery. “Master of Puppets” was monumental — every riff hitting with surgical force, the crowd so loud they nearly drowned out the band. Even Lars seemed to feed off it, hammering the second kit set up closer to the crowd, pushing everything into the red.
The visuals reached new heights as the band unleashed “One.” War imagery flickered across the screens — gunfire, explosions, silhouettes of soldiers — as the music exploded around it. Flames roared, the crowd’s roar grew louder, and even the stage seemed to pulse with the rhythm of battle. Rob and Lars ventured out toward the crowd, blurring the line between stage and audience, every beat feeling communal, every scream cathartic. By the end, the band looked utterly spent, and the audience, all in, roared in response.
Then came the inevitable — “Enter Sandman.” The opening riff hit like a hammer and the stadium lost its mind. Hetfield called out, “Are you still out there? Sing it, Perth!” and the crowd did — louder than ever. When the final notes rang out, he smiled, looked across the sea of faces and said, “Metallica loves Perth.” It felt genuine — like a circle finally complete.
As the noise subsided, Hetfield took a breath and grinned, “You are beautiful, Perth.” He reminded the crowd, “If you’ve been drinking, hand your keys to a friend,” before thanking everyone with quiet sincerity: “Thank you so much — we’re so grateful to be back.” Then Lars took the mic, adding, “It’s been 12 long years since we were last here. Thank you for your patience — there’s no better place to kick things off than here in motherf***ing Perth!” The four members took their bows, exhausted but beaming, the crowd still deafening.
As the lights finally dimmed and the band waved their last goodbyes, the feeling in the air was pure triumph. Perth had waited twelve long years, and Metallica had delivered a night for the ages. It was more than a concert — it was a homecoming, a communion, and a reminder that heavy music, at its best, is about unity, emotion, and power shared between stage and sea of faces. The kings of metal have returned, and from the sound of it, they’ve never been more alive.
PERTH OPENING NIGHT SETLIST:
Creeping Death | For Whom the Bell Tolls | Holier Than Thou | Fuel | The Unforgiven | Wherever I May Roam | Kirk and Rob Doodle (Budgie’s “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” and John Butler Trio’s “Zebra”) | The Day That Never Comes | Moth Into Flame | Sad but True | Nothing Else Matters | Seek & Destroy | Lux Æterna | Master of Puppets | One | Enter Sandman
