Strolling around Sofia on July 25, one would have noticed the suspicious predomination of black clothing. It was not a day of mourning, on the contrary, it was a day to rejoice as US metal band Metallica returned to Bulgaria for a second loud, shaking and legend-making concert.
The band got on stage as promised at 9pm and for the next two hours nothing but metal and the consciousness of the bliss to see them perform live mattered for the, reportedly, 45 000 people at the national stadium Vassil Levski.
Metallica performed their best hits, among which Fuel, Master of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters, For Whom The Bell Tolls, while the crowd was singing, shouting and jumping all the time. The special effects and fireworks additionally inflamed passions and the sound was so loud that one could actually see the air moving.
It began raining just in time to cool down the exalted audience a little bit, but Metallica did not let the audience breathe, playing Sad but True, One and Enter Sandman. At the end of the encore, the fans received what they had waited for in the past nine years, Seek And Destroy. It was the song the band did not perform in Plovdiv in 1999 and the whole audience was shouting for it.
At the end, Metallica promised to return in less than nine years for their next concert in Bulgaria. They surely should, as their two concerts so far are among the most visited ever in the country. As for the Metallica-mania in the city, it was more than obvious. Although the organisers announced that they would open the stadium doors at 3pm, there were fans, waiting to enter as early as 9 in the morning. All cafes around the stadium played Metallica hits and fans from the neighbouring counties poured out at the stadium from several buses.
After the concert, it was impossible to find a place to sit and realise what had just happened to you, as the 45 000 fans occupied all the pubs and pizzerias in the centre. What remains is the hope that Metallica will keep thier promise and come back soon to present their new album. Oh, yes, please do.
