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Escape to Europe
By: MetDream
On 3 June 2006, thousands of fans stood in anticipation of the mighty Metallica to headline the Rock AM Ring Music Festival held annually in Nürburgring, Germany. Hundreds of thousands more fans from around the world huddled around their computers, laptops and televisions in anticipation of the live webcast of and/or the MTV Europe satellite broadcast. Expectations ran high over what songs Metallica would play. Rumor had it that a new song might by played. The crowd has been promised a surprise. Speculation intensified as the time for the mighty Met to take the stage grew nearer. Hopes were high. Fans craved for something new, rare or speculator; wanting to share in a highlight of Metallica history.
The AC/CD intro drew the crowd’s attention, the ever so familiar sounds of Ecstasy of Gold captured it and the opening notes of Creeping Death ruptured it. James, Lars, Kirk, and Rob took the stage amidst the rapture and praise, hand clapping and horn throwing, sing, shouting of the excited crowd’s welcome. "Give me a M. Give me an E. Give me a T,. Give me an A. Give me Fuel. Give me Fire. Give me that which I desire…" Metallica reached out to gather that attention up into a burning force of sheer metal and thrash. Starting with "Fuel," the band blazed its way through the set list right on in to a full version "Battery". It was then the crowds at the stadium and fans world wide knew something was up and the history was about to be in the making.
"Interesting to see battery in the middle of the set like this!”
“Is this the start of MOP in full?" "That's a full version of Battery!!!"
"If they go into puppets this could get interesting…"
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!"
"Straight into Master of Puppets!”
The murmur grew. The excitement exploded. Amazement and wonder grew into astonished gratitude. On Stage, James confirmed what fans could not believe was true, "20 years. Happy Anniversary! For you, the entire album!"
"Yesssssss"
"OH SHIT!!!"
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. F-ing Yes!!!"
"We're gonna hear all of ORION!!"
"My head exploded when I realized that!"
"Thingy"
"This is awesome!"
"YEAH!!"
"I've started a one man mosh pit in my room."
"We are witnessing history folks."
It was true. 3 June 2006, the first date of the European Escape ’06 tour, is a date to definitely be highlighted in Metallica History. The band commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of what many fans considered to be Metallica’s greatest album ever, Master of Puppets, by playing the album in its entirety. Avid Metallica fans participating in person and around the world via the live webcast and TV broadcast marveled over the significance of hearing Orion played lived in its entirety for the first time ever; of being treated to rarely played songs like Disposable Heroes; experiencing full versions of songs normally cut or shortened when played live; and of the honor of hearing James give a shout out at the end of Orion: "God Bless Cliff Burton."
Bootlegs of this momentous show were uploaded, downloaded and spread across the World Wide Web in record breaking speeds. Thanks in part to the live web cast and MTV Europe broadcasting Rock AM Ring live via satellite. And of course thanks to those bootleg filmers who freely share the shows they record to the rest of the world.
Metallica continued the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of Master of Puppets through the rest of the European tour dates. Fans in each of the counties were able to celebrate this momentous anniversary with the band. Special commemorative plectrums were thrown out to hopeful fans. A special mini backdrop, a collage of all the bands albums, set the stage on which the band played the album in its entirety. Fans across Europe were grateful that they too were able to partake in this most metal of all metal moment in Metallica’s history.
Were there more suprises in store? Metallica fans continued to speculate about the possibility of a new song to be played live. Not a band to disappoint its fans, Metallica delivered. On 6 June 2006, in Berlin, Germany Metallica debut a new song, titled simply "The New Song". A song that became a work in progress as fan noted the changes in the song each additional time it was played: in Arnhem; at The Download Festival in Great Brittan; and in Imola. Bootleg collectors anxiously waited for the recordings of these shows to surface both the audience recordings and the official soundboard recordings released on LiveMet. Fans were appreciated to the band to allow the recording of "The New Song" on the LiveMet bootlegs.
The last bit of surprise and change up in the set list came at the end of each set. This drew fans attention and discussion once they discovered that in Berlin, "Last Caress" had been replaced by "So What!" The cover song the band performed at the end of each set was alternated each night. This caused fans to predict and discuss what cover they would like to hear or thought would be played each night.
In Berlin, Mat Shadows and the rest of Avenged Sevenfold was invited on stage to help sing "Commando". This set a president for the rest of the tour. In Arnhem, "Die Die My Darling" was sung with Trivium & Avenged Sevenfold on backup vocals. At Download, Trivium once again took the stage to sing "Die, Die, Die My Darling". In Dublin and Nickelsdorf, Metallica mixed thing up some more by inviting Jerry Cantrell on stage to sing "Nothing Else Matters". They continued to vary the cover song at the end of the set list, playing "Whisky in the Jar" in Dublin. In Tallinn various members of several of the opening bands were invited on stage for "So What!" In Nickelsdorf, Lemmy Kilmister joined Metallica on vocals for Damaged Case. And finally in Imola, ending the tour as it started with cover of Last Caress.
The European Escape 2006 Tour will most definitely be one to be remembered. The enormity of it is to be marveled for years to come. The excitement from this tour continues and has carried over into the expectations over what is to come next when Metallica heads to Japan and Korea in August.
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