Today, Wednesday, May 7, Blacksburg will be turned upside down as a Metallica concert at Lane Stadium is dictating a lot of lives, from concert goers to hospitality workers.
Hotel rooms are sold out, and there probably is not a parking place within two miles of the Virginia Tech site.
Brad Wurthman, Virginia Tech’s Executive Associate AD/External Operations and Chief Revenue Officer, says the concert will be a unique experience and once in a lifetime. He honestly said it will be chaos today on campus.
Metallica’s song “Enter Sandman” has had fans jumping before many Tech football games, and this week’s concert should not be an exception. The question is whether it will be felt miles away. In 2021, seismograph readings for Blacksburg registered on the scale of a small earthquake.
The university will also host its own graduation in the next week. Wurthman said Metallica staff will turn the stadium back over to the university by Friday.
A crowd of over 70,000 is expected to pack Lane Stadium.
As the concert gets underway, the question is what do you know, or not know, about the band and its history.
Here are some quick facts:
- Formation: Metallica was formed in 1981 by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield.
- Early Members: Initially, they included Ron McGovney (bass), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), and later Cliff Burton (bass) replaced McGovney.
- Genre: Metallica pioneered the subgenre of speed metal in the 1980s.
- Album Sales: They have sold over 125 million albums worldwide as of 2018.
- Grammy Awards: They have won 10 Grammy Awards.
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2009.
- Unique Tour: Metallica has performed on every continent, including Antarctica.
The current band include: James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1981–present); Kirk Hammett – lead guitar, backing vocals (1983–present); Robert Trujillo – bass, backing vocals (2003–present) and Lars Ulrich – drums (1981–present).
Information from several music reporting agencies show the band will pull in $4-$6 million each night of the current stadium tours.
Metallica has a crew of over 150 people, add another 170 local production hands and 92 truck drivers. Numbers also show they will employ more than 800 people locally to support the show.
Metallica’s impressive numbers also landed them at #9 on the on the top 10 worldwide touring artists of 2024 from Pollstar. Per Pollstar’s numbers, the celebrated metal veterans grossed an estimated $179 million from 24 shows. This makes it the fifth highest grossing rock tour of the year.
Metallica is one of the most commercially successful and influential bands of all time. They have sold over 125 million albums worldwide. The band’s success extends beyond sales, with multiple Grammy Awards, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and widespread influence on other artists.
Metallica has been active for over four decades and continues to release new music and tour extensively. They have maintained a large and dedicated fanbase throughout their career. Metallica’s popularity crosses genre boundaries and resonates with both hardcore metal fans and a broader audience.
“Enter Sandman” was released as Metallica’s lead single on July 29, 1991; it reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Yes, Metallica has had several number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, with a total of 14. They are one of only six rock acts to have more than 10 number one hits.
Metallica’s signature song is arguably “Seek & Destroy”. It’s often cited as a classic Metallica anthem, frequently performed live and used as a closer to their setlists, says Forbes magazine. While other songs like “Enter Sandman” and “Master of Puppets” are also highly popular, “Seek & Destroy” is often considered a cornerstone of the band’s identity.
Five Metallica songs have no words. They are Orion; (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth; Call of Ktulu; Suicide and Redemption and To Live is to Die.
Heavy metal legends Metallica recently kicked off their M72 World Tour, with a record-breaking Meyer Sound system at its core featuring 288 PANTHER large-format line array loudspeakers. To set up the tower system for speakers, it takes 36 hours.
Metallica is still touring because they maintain strong fan demand and continue to release new music, with their latest album being “72 Seasons”.
Metallica is an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. They are known for their influential music and are one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2013, they performed in Antarctica under a custom-built Geodome. This made them the first band to play on all seven continents in the same year.
Metallica has become one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time and is credited as one of the “big four” of thrash metal, along with Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth.
The band has sold more than 125 million records worldwide, including an RIAA-certified 66 million and Nielsen SoundScan-reported 58,000,000 in the US, making Metallica one of the most commercially successful bands of all time.
In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the second year they were eligible and first year they were nominated.
On September 10, 2006, Metallica guest starred on The Simpsons’ 18-season premiere, “The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer”.