Metallica. July 16, 2011. Plains of Abraham. Do we really need to add more?
In the history of the Festival d’été de Québec, no show has been hoped for and awaited with more excitement.
“It’s on our to do list“, said James Hetfield in an interview with The newspapertwo years before.
He knew that Metallica had devoted admirers in Quebec. He surely had no idea of the wind of madness that was going to blow over the city in the days preceding the big evening.
From the start of this famous hot and sunny Saturday, the upper town was taken by storm. Huge lines formed around the Plains, people breached the fences to gain access to the site, there was trash everywhere, spectators passed out in front of the stage, the FEQ had to install a giant screen behind the stage to allow as many festival-goers as possible to experience the event.
It was madness.
Then, at 10 p.m., when the melody of The Ecstasy of Gold sounded, announcing the arrival of the metal gods, Quebec was able to live its moment.
Metallica was, once again, exemplary. The choice of songs was at the height of the moment, a perfect mix of titles from the band’s thrash and mainstream periods.
During a particularly high segment, we heard in succession One, Master of Puppets, Blackened, Nothing Else Matters And Enter Sandman.
As a reminder, the fans of the first hour were rewarded with three songs by Kill ‘Em AllMetallica’s debut album, released in 1983: Am I Evil?, Hit The Lights, Seek & Destroy.
A finale full of metallic nostalgia for an unforgettable evening.