Metallica began considering a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere after Lars Ulrich attended U2’s opening night there, he revealed.
The Irish band opened the 20,000-capacity venue in 2023 with a 40-date run. After contemplating the possibility for some time, Metallica will start their own series of performances in the fall, delivering 24 shows between October 1 and March 13.
“I was there [on the] opening night and was so just fucking awestruck, inspired, energized, all of it,” Ulrich recently told The Edge on the U2 guitarist’s SiriusXM show. “It was just, like, ‘Holy shit, this is somehow another frontier.’”
READ MORE: Metallica Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne One Year After His Farewell Concert
Ulrich expressed his hope that Metallica could create an equally “incredible” experience but acknowledged that there are some nerves to be calmed before the opening night.
“It’s gonna be challenging,” he said. “And obviously, like everybody else I’ve talked to about it, it’s overwhelming and fucking intimidating. But … that’s a place maybe we don’t end up in often enough, because we have a tendency to put ourselves in environments that we completely control and know. And so I think it’s really good to be able to throw yourself for a loop like that.”
Will Metallica Film During Their Sphere Residency?
Ulrich confirmed that Metallica were in discussions to film the Life Burns Faster residency, named after a lyric from the classic track “Master of Puppets.”
After announcing eight initial dates, the run now includes 12 “No Repeat Weekends” where the band will perform entirely different sets on each Thursday and Saturday. There are no plans to add further dates.
“Life Burns Faster set lists will span the entire catalog, enhanced by the venue’s immersive technologies that will allow you to experience the ’Tallica sound in new experiential dimensions,” the band stated when the first Sphere shows were announced.
“Whether you’ve seen us from the upper reaches of a stadium or arena, at an intimate club or theater gig, or from the Snake Pit, Sphere’s technology will present an entirely new live experience for everyone in the house … including us!
Watch Metallica’s Sphere Residency Trailer
Rock’s Most Notorious Pyro Mishaps
