Take a Behind the Scenes Look at Metallica’s WorldWired Tour Stage Production
Ever wonder what goes into the production of an event as large as Metallica's WorldWired tour? Germany's Mothergrid has just released a series of videos where they take a look behind the scenes of the creation of a concert from the technical side.
The four-part series, which can be viewed below, addresses the steps taken to put on the visuals and sounds at Germany's Olympiahalle München, where Metallica performed this past April. In the first part, lighting designer Rob Koenig, Gene McAuliffe and Michael "Kilty" Petite talk in-depth about the visual systems of the show. The second part features system tech Tom Lyon talking about the sound system while the third has Koening going head by head through the lighting rig setup. The final part has "Big Mick" Hughes and Markus Wilmsmann discussing the audio and microphone setup and mixing.
In late February, Metallica announced the second North American leg of their WorldWired tour, which led their 2016 LP Hardwired... To Self-Destruct to jump to the No. 2 slot on the Billboard charts. Ticket purchases included an album redemption offer where fans had the choice of receiving a copy of the album, which then was attributed to part of the units moved tally.
Metallica will not be playing any lengthy stretches of shows, with just select North American appearances between Sept. 2 and March 13 of next year. Presumably, this is due to the band's ability to only commit to around 50 shows a year as frontman James Hetfield has previously discussed the physical toll touring can take. The full list of dates can be found here.
Earlier this month, Metallica were recipients of the prestigious Polar Music Prize, where they were granted one million Swedish Kroner (just over $130,000) from King Carl XVI Gustav. The annual prize is awarded to artists who celebrate music in various forms and to break down boundaries by bringing people of different geographical and musical diversities together. Metallica's All Within My Hands charitable foundation subsequently announced that 50 percent of the financial prize would be going to the Stockholm City Mission, which supports the homeless, while 25 percent apiece will go to the World Childhood Foundation and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
Watch Metallica's "WorldWired Tour" Behind the Scenes
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