Metallica -- Baltimore, MD -- January 13th, 1985

[jhdeity]

Thanks guys. Yeah I'm old. When I say close to a thousand shows that includes local bands and tribute bands of course. I was looking through my old ticket stubs yesterday and in a 8 month period I saw this show, Dio on the Last in Line tour, Queensryche on the Warning tour, The Scorpions on the Love at 1st Sting tour and Priest and Maiden on the Screaming for Vengeance/Number of the Beast tour. Yeah a time machine would come in handy to relive that period of time for sure.

It's funny we used to bitch that aids cursed our generation but in hindsight those were incredible years. The Priest and Maiden ticket was $12.50. None of the shows I mentioned were over $15. Talk about the good ole' days. hahaha

[MetalIsArt]

Originally Posted by SerpentineVIVIVI

I find it really sad that you say that, honestly. That kind of mentality is just so narrow minded, I'm sorry. Maybe for Metallica, and for Gene Simmons, or whoever else, but not for every band, and certainly not for even 95% of bands out there.

And in regards to what they did for metal, I never said anything about that, and I think it's great what they did and I stand by that. Just post-Black Album is exactly the opposite of what they did for metal, so they're fucking black and white. It's as if they negated themselves as to how much they've embarrassed themselves, musically and as people.

Not true. They did it because they wanted to do it, it wasn't Bob Rock's or anyone else's decision. If Load & Re-Load had been released under a different bandname, everyone would've liked them.

Besides, both records could've very well flopped too, so luck was also involved. And yes, most bands want to earn a living from their music. Ask.

[jhdeity]

As someone who likes the faster, heavier Metallica songs I do find it kinda ironic my favorite song off either "Load" album is Bleeding Me.

I think another reason the "Loads" were a failure in most fans eyes is that was a time when we needed something heavy. It had been 5 years since the black album which didn't have a thrash or speed metal song on it and bands like The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the biggest bands when Load was released.

I know I wanted an album with thrash on it so I hated Load without even giving it a 2nd listen. It was watered-down Metallica to me and Until It Sleeps could have easily been a Pumpkins song.

Since then I gave them a chance and there is some serious filler on those cd's but they're not hateful on their own. It was a timing thing for me and same with the Napster Debacle.

I owned every Metallica album, cd, ep and cd single but Lars was chastizing me for downloading I Disappear rather than buying a soundtrack for 1 or 2 songs? A band who built their legend on underground tapes? Possibly one of the most hypocritical things anyone has ever done in music history. All they did was murder their image and made themselves look like whining little bitches for years. They're lucky we forgave them in all reality...

[ImmortalEmperor]

Fuck I loved those first three Metallica albums. When Ride the Lightning came out it changed my musical life. When they finally made it to Tucson for the first time in 1986 (opening for Ozzy) I was as excited as I've ever been (before or since) for the show. They definitely didn't disappoint though I would have loved to have seen the tour on this thread. I'm just grateful I got to see them with Cliff - in my opinion they were never the same after he died.

RIP Cliff.

[jhdeity]

Bump - can't believe I found this on here.

[Wizard in Black 666]

WOW...

jhdeity

That was the best damn gig report I have ever read. Seriously. I loved it man! I could totally feel the energy and rush you guys were having from that show and getting there/leaving.

This makes me want to post about the first Metallica gig I went to, but I know I will just get shit for it(seeing how I've probably talked about the show over 50 times already)

But seriously jhdeity....That was a great fucking read. Thanks for sharing your kick ass story with us man

EDIT: Also, like some of of the other people on this board.....if it wasn't for a little album called "Ride The Lightning" I would have never gotten into bands like Slayer, Sadus, Bathory, Sepultura, KREATOR, Celtic Frost, ECT ect

[jhdeity]

Yeah this was like 2 years ago and I was so amazed to find the Metallica setlist. It's not like people came home after that show and jumped on the net to post it. Most people never believe you when you say you saw Metallica on the Ride the Lightning Tour, Testament on The New Order Tour or Queensryche on the Warning Tour. I literally saw Testament play for 45 people. Yeah we were cursed by Aids but we had Hammerjacks and fake ID's so it all evens out.

[PowerMaiden]

Originally Posted by jhdeity

Thanks to Sanitarium for mentioning setlist fm again. I’ve posted on there a few times and used them once or twice but didn’t know the setlists went back that far. This concert changed my life. It opened me up to so many bands and types of music and helped create the monster I am today. I apologize in advance for the diatribe but I’ve seen close to a thousand shows and this one is still Numero Uno for me. It was at a place in the middle of as shopping center called Coast to Coast which burned down about a year later.

At the time I heard about this show I was really into Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Triumph, Def Leppard, Queensryche & older stuff like AC/DC, Zeppelin and Rush. I was told by a friend that this is the heaviest show this town has ever seen and he gave me a cassette of No life til Leather to check out. At first listen it just didn’t compute. I was used to epic vocals and I just didn’t get it. After a few listens it started to sink in but not until we were riding to the show and my buddy threw in Ride the Lightning did it hit me. He FF’d through Fight Fire with Fire knowing we weren’t ready for that and went right to Ride the Lightning. WOW. Still wasn’t sold on the vocals but the music was great. Then For Whom the Bell Tolls kicked our ass. The vocals fit the music, the bass was incredible and I was instantly a fan. Fade to Black was the perfect song to be pulling up to the venue to. We got uberbaked and totally did a Wayne’s World to the ending of the song before falling out of the car and venturing in. These were the days of 21 and over shows so we all had fake ID’s and went up to the door. 4 of us got in and 1 guy who was using his brothers id got shot down. Dude had to spend the rest of the night in the car and as bad as I felt for him he gets props for not bitching and taking 1 for the team.

Wasp and Metallica had been co-headlining so we were hoping Metallica would play last but had no idea. The front of the stage was packed so we got the front spot on the side of the stage and waited for Armored Saint. Little did I know this spot would give me a birds eye view into the tenacity of Chris Holmes and Cliff Burton while watching the rest of the band and the crowd.

Armored Saint killed it. John Bush belted every word and we were in awe. Great stage presence and they were loud as hell. Their set to my best recollection was:

March of the Saint
Mutiny of the World
Stricken by Fate
Seducer
Can U Deliver
False Alarm
Mad House

After that we got some beers and were told Wasp were up next. Too cool. We fought to get our spot back and what happened next was like nothing I’d ever witnessed at a show. They opened with On Your Knees and instantly girls started taking their bras off and throwing them at the stage. I saw more boobs in 3 minutes than I had seen in my entire life up to that point. My jaw was on the stage and I was instantly a HUGE Wasp fan. Chris Holmes was a MONSTER and shredded right in front of us. I have a bootleg cassette version of this set so I know it’s right.

Wasp

On Your Knees
Hellion
The Flame
LOVE Machine
Sleeping in the Fire
Tormentor
School Daze
The Torture Never Stops
I Wanna Be Somebody
Fuck like a Beast

During Fuck like a Beast another bra shower happened and I couldn’t believe it. Being someone who owned the import version of Unleashed in the East with the 4 extra tracks I thought I was on top of everything cool musically and I was wrong. People were singing along to an incredible song that I had never heard or knew existed. It really blew my mind. Wasp ended and the bouncers walked off the stage with over 50 bras. We grabbed a couple of Long Island Iced Tea’s and got ready for what was to be the best set I had ever seen and possibly ever would see.

We were hoping the guitarist would be in front of us after hearing some of Kirk’s solos and little did we know the beastly display of bass playing we would soon see. Metallica came out and Cliff wreaked of cheeba. His entire aura stank and he slapped all our hands and you could smell it on your hands afterwards. Instantly I respected him and guzzled the rest of my drink. Then the shit hit the fan…

Metallica

Fight Fire With Fire
Ride The Lightning
Phantom Lord
The Four Horsemen
Cliff Burton Solo (This was as close to a religious experience that I had ever had up to this point in my life)
For Whom The Bell Tolls
No Remorse
The Call of Ktulu (Mind-blowing)
Seek & Destroy
Whiplash
Creeping Death
Kirk Solo
Metal Militia (with Metal up your Ass sing-a-long)

I still have the shirt and stub from the concert and smile very time I see them. I wasn’t ready for the mayhem of FFwF when it started but by the time Metal Militia kicked in I was addicted to speed metal. Metal Militia became my favorite song for at least 10 years even though I would never hear them play it again live. When James yelled during Whiplash “We’ll never stop, we’ll never quit, cuz YOU’RE Metallica” we believed it. If it wasn’t for this show I probably would have never become such a huge Slayer, Sadus, Vio-lence or Dark Angel fan.

On the ride home we listened to the 2nd side of the Ride the Lightning cassette and every song sounded incredible. Ktulu was EPIC! I went out and bought all 3 albums and the Fuck like a Beast and Creeeping Death EP’s the next day and the rest is history. I graduated from high school a few months later and lost touch with most of those guys but every once in a while I see one of the guys at a Ravens game and we always talk about that show. I remember it like it was yesterday…

R.I.P. Cliff Burton
February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986

awesome man, great review.

I have the bootleg of the Montreal gig next to yours (January 15th, 1985) and they didn't play Metal Militia, the Wasp set is the same.


Cheers !
PowerMaiden

[PowerMaiden]

Originally Posted by jhdeity

It was a timing thing for me and same with the Napster Debacle.

I owned every Metallica album, cd, ep and cd single but Lars was chastizing me for downloading I Disappear rather than buying a soundtrack for 1 or 2 songs? A band who built their legend on underground tapes? Possibly one of the most hypocritical things anyone has ever done in music history. All they did was murder their image and made themselves look like whining little bitches for years. They're lucky we forgave them in all reality...

I also really like that post, I think the same, exept that I didn't forgive them hehehe


that's it I wanna be your friend

Cheers !
PowerMaiden

[Jman]

Epic. That's all I can say.