On July 4, 1993 Metallica played the very final show of their epic two-year tour promoting their self-titled fifth album at the Festivalpark at Rock Werchter in Belgium.
The 77-date ‘Nowhere Else To Roam’ tour was the third leg of the San Francisco band’s touring in support of ‘The Black Album’ and to mark its final night, the quartet invited their road crew and manager Peter Mensch onstage to contribute backing vocals to a suitably raucous and raw version of the Anti-Nowhere League’s So What, originally released as the B-side of the British punk’s 1981 debut single Streets Of London. Guitar tech John Marshall, who deputised on guitar for James Hetfield after he was injured in a pyro explosion during the group’s memorable stadium tour with Guns N’ Roses, joined the group on additional rhythm guitar.
“One more tune,” says James Hetfield introducing the song. “Everyone give it their fucking all, man.”
The footage is taken from the ‘Live at Festivalpark’ DVD included in the Remastered Deluxe Box Set of ‘The Black Album’, which is being released via the band’s own Blackened Recordings label on September 10. The band are also releasing the 53-artist The Metallica Blacklist album on the same day.
Metallica discuss the making of ‘The Black Album’ and its accompanying tour, in the current issue of Classic Rock magazine.
“That album was the point where Metallica turned into this massive touring juggernaut,” remembers drummer Lars Ulrich. “We toured and toured and toured, everywhere, and then when we finished we toured again.”
The new issue of Classic Rock, which celebrates 30 years of ‘The Black Album’ with new interviews and insights from the band, is on sale now.
