SHANGHAI, CHINA--(Marketwired - Aug 14, 2013) - Shanghai has witnessed music history. For the first time in their 30+-year career, Metallica brought their earth-shattering live performance to China. Life-long fans from across the country descended upon Shanghai's Mercedes-Benz Arena for two sold-out nights. The first night sold out in record time and faster than any other Western act.
Cheers filled the arena as the audience of 10,000+ chanted along to band's lightning-fast riffs, aggressive vocals and pounding drums. With a set featuring some of Metallica's epic hits such as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Seek & Destroy" and "Enter Sandman," they ensured the concertgoers had the time of their lives. Metallica and their fans proved that music is truly a universal language; uniting the international superstars and their Chinese fans in a concert that was a dream of many for over 30 years.
"We didn't expect the energy that was being given to us would be so intense. We were very excited to see people singing the words, joining in and becoming part of the show; which is what we really love," remarked guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield.
"Tonight Metallica made music history and opened the doors of China to rock music," says Adam Wilkes, Senior Vice-President of AEG Live Asia, the promoter of the band's China shows; "It's an honor for AEG to be part of the band's long awaited China debut."
Metallica is currently on a run throughout Asia and will perform in Seoul, South Korea on August 18th at CITYBREAK @ Olympic Park. For a full list of upcoming tour dates please visit http://www.metallica.com/tour_date_list.asp?show=current.
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About Metallica
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica have become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 110 million albums worldwide and playing to millions of fans the world over. They have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1991's Metallica (commonly referred to as "The Black Album"), which is the best selling album in history of Soundscan scanning 16 million albums in the United States alone. Their latest album, Death Magnetic, was certified platinum just six weeks after it debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in October 2008. Death Magnetic charted at #1 in 32 countries. Metallica have also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. The band recently celebrated its 30th-Anniversary with a week's worth of fan club concerts at the Fillmore Theater in San Francisco, CA. In 2012, they announced the launch of Orion Music + More, an annual two-day festival curated and headlined by the band. Last summer, Metallica played eight shows to nearly 180,000 fans at the Sports Arena in Mexico City and unveiled a brand new stage in that contained iconic elements that spanned its 30+-year career. The stage is featured in the upcoming film Metallica Through the Never which will be released on September 27, 2013 exclusively in IMAX and everywhere else on October 4, 2013
