Metallica and San Francisco Symphony to Play Together Again
Metallica have announced a reunion with the San Francisco Symphony to mark the 20th anniversary of their 1999 live album S&M.
The show takes place on Sept. 6 – the first concert to be staged at the city’s new Chase Center venue. A pre-sale is active from noon today until midnight on March 21, with general tickets on sale at 10AM PT on March 22.
“We’re honored to take part in the grand opening of the Chase Center in San Francisco as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of S&M,” Metallica said in a statement. “Join us at what is sure to become a cultural landmark in the Bay Area for S&M2.”
The performance will be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas at the beginning of his final season with the orchestra.
S&M was recorded at the Berkeley Community Theatre in April 1999 and released that November. It was conducted by Michael Kamen and produced by Bob Rock with the band. It’s the last Metallica album to feature bassist Jason Newsted before his departure amid the tensions detailed in the movie Some Kind of Monster.
The live LP reached No. 2 on the U.S. chart and went Top 20 in many other countries, while the track “The Call of Ktulu” received a Grammy for Best Instrumental Rock Performance.
Watch Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Perform 'The Call of Ktulu'
“This is beyond exciting on so many fronts,” drummer Lars Ulrich said during a press conference announcing the event. “The fact that San Francisco is finally getting a much needed world-class arena, the fact that Metallica get to be part of the opening celebration, the fact that we get to revisit S&M 20 years later and the fact that we get to share the stage not only with the San Francisco Symphony once again, but with the legend himself, MTT [Thomas], as he kicks off his final year as music director here in San Francisco. This is mind-blowingly awesome.”
“I'm happy to join with my friends in Metallica to make this an extraordinary only-in-San Francisco music event,” Thomas added. You can watch the full press conference here.