In the latest episode of “The Metallica Report,” the band’s frontman, James Hetfield, was asked about the lessons he’s taking from the 2023-2024 “M72” world tour into their newly announced 2025 “M72” shows.
He said: “I think that the confidence, the fact that the 72 Seasons album is well received and some of the songs that we’re playing live work and they kind of fit seamlessly in with all the catalog, all the albums we have. We’re not afraid of it, but we’re not overindulging in it as well. We know people wanna hear the ‘best of’. And you’ve gotta challenge them to listen to some of the new stuff as well, ’cause we certainly don’t wanna be a legacy band that just plays their greatest hits and then that’s it. It’s all a part of it.
“I think the confidence of us and the stage, being on stage, knowing that, hey, all mistakes are a part of the show,” James continued. That’s part of what we say before we go out: hey, all mistakes are free. And it’s not a mistake. Really, that word is kind of ridiculous in a way. It’s just a unique way of playing it that night. Everyone gets to enjoy whatever happens right then. And frankly, I think it’s a challenge.”
“When a song falls apart, and it could be devastating to other bands, for us, it’s just, ‘Okay. We f**ked it up. Let’s start it again.’ Or, ‘Hey, let’s take it from here.’ There’s been times when I’ve edited out a whole middle section and then at the end of the song said, ‘Oh my God, I forgot to play that part here. Let’s just play it for you.’ There’s a freedom up there that the fans allow, there’s a grace that they allow us to be human. So there is a confidence that you can’t go wrong. You just can’t go wrong. You show up and you do your best and you know it’s from the heart.”
Last month, Metallica announced that their record-breaking “M72” world tour will continue for a third year, with 21 additional North American dates scheduled for April, May, and June 2025.
The 2025 leg of the “M72” world tour will continue the beloved No Repeat Weekend tradition, where each of the two-show stops will feature entirely different setlists and support acts. Notable highlights include Metallica‘s first Nashville performances in five years, scheduled for May 1 and 3 at Nissan Stadium, and their long-awaited return to Tampa after 15 years, with shows on June 6 and 8 at Raymond James Stadium. The tour will also include the highly anticipated Bay Area hometown shows on June 20 and 22, marking the band’s debut at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
“M72” 2025 North American tour dates:
April 12 – Las Vegas, NV Sick New World @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds
April 19 – Syracuse, NY JMA Wireless Dome *
April 24 – Toronto, ON Rogers Centre *
April 26 – Toronto, ON Rogers Centre +
May 01 – Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium *
May 03 – Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium +
May 07 – Blacksburg, VA Lane Stadium *
May 09 – Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 11 – Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 23 – Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field +
May 25 – Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field *
May 28 – Landover, MD Northwest Stadium *
May 31 – Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium *
June 03 – Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium *
June 06 – Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium +
June 08 – Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium *
June 14 – Houston, TX NRG Stadium *
June 20 – Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium +
June 22 – Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium *
June 27 – Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High +
June 29 – Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High *
* Pantera and Suidical Tendencies support
+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support
