Metallica Promises ‘New, Sick as F—, Over the Top, Out of Control’ Stage Design for Future Shows

About a month after their historic, newly launching Orion Music + More festival weekend, which takes places this June in Atlantic City, N.J., the mighty Metallica will return to Mexico for a pair of shows at the Sports Palace in Mexico City. The shows are scheduled for Aug. 1 and 2. Why is that a big deal, other than being a few more tour dates? Well, the Four Horsemen promised to unveil a “mind-blowing” new stage that “needs to be seen to be believed.” Oh, how Metallica never cease to amaze us.

The 140X50-foot rigging will feature “colossal components” and “striking visual elements” culled from across the band’s three-decade career. This, we gotta see! Does that mean we’re getting Lady Justice back from the 1988-89 ‘Damaged Justice’ trek, or perhaps the mid-stage diamond shaped “snake pit” from their early ’90s shows?

Mexico has a special place in Metallica’s collective heart, and is one of the band’s favorite international tour stops. In 1993, towards the end of the ‘Black’ album touring cycle, Metallica played an unprecedented five sold-out nights at the Sports Palace.

“Given our history with our rabid Mexican fans over the past decades, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to unveil our new, sick as f—, over the top, out of control stage that will be the cornerstone of our touring escapades for the next years to come,” said drummer Lars Ulrich. “Don’t be scared boys and girls, this is going next level.”

Then in 2009, the band played three consecutive sold-out shows to over 150,000 fans at Foro Sol Stadium, which was captured in the ‘Metallica — Mexico City Live’ CD/DVD. This summer, ‘Tallica plan to top all previous Mexican shows. Nothing like setting some goals. Ulrich also promises that this new stage will be “the cornerstone of our touring escapades for the next years to come.” So we’ll get to see it in the flesh for ourselves one day. (We hope!)

Tickets for these shows go on sale publicly on March 24 at 11 AM.