15th anniversary, Metallica live in Manila, Philippines
April 17, 1993, a day I will never forget. My first concert, my favorite band. Indeed one of the best days of my life.
It was then only a year after Metallica released the “black album.” Enter Sandman, the carrier single, was huge – open low E string, 7th fret 5th string, 5th fret 4th string, then 6th and 5th fret low E string – if you’re still with me, this is probably one of the first few riffs you learned on the guitar. And, because of songs like Enter Sandman, and bands like Metallica, I played guitar obsessively. I played guitar while I crapped, and I wanted nothing else but to be a guitarist in a band.
I could only imagine and try to remember the look on my face when I saw the ad in the papers for their concert. I would not miss it for the world. It was not a question of whether I’d be allowed to go or not because I knew I will, even if it meant going alone or being hassled by my parents. But, my parents knew about Metallica, they see the cds I buy (with their money), the Guitar World magazines, their concert videos (in vhs or laser disc). I had asked my mom to go to the place where they sold tickets, I asked her to buy the most expensive, the frontmost, the best tickets available.
Luckily, my soon-to-be-first-bandmate was a Metallica freak as well. He had an older bassist brother who covered Metallica songs with his band. I went with my soon-to-be-first-bandmate, my soon-to-be-first-bandmate’s brother and his bandmates. My ticket was in the third row (imagine that), theirs was in the fourth row, but directly behind me, so it was all good.
April 17 finally came. I remember we had some “transpo” problems early that day, so I, the desperate fucker that I was, asked my mom to bring us to Ultra. My friend and his brother hitched with us. I still remember the worried look on my mom’s face when she saw heaps of metalheads in black, tattooed, long-haired, surrounding Ultra. “Anak, mag-ingat kayo ha.”
We were already in line early even if we didn’t have to. We were early. This was about the same time I learned it was totally fine to wear another band’s shirt in one band’s concert. I don’t know why I remember that clearly. Another thing I remembered vividly – while we were in line, a loud distorted guitar suddenly played the intro to Enter Sandman‘s riff. People went wild. All the hairs on my body stood up.
Finally inside the venue we arrived at our numbered seats. Old school rattan chairs (think “Trip To Jerusalem” in birthday parties). ‘Di pa uso monobloc nun. Razorback and a then Karl Roy-fronted Advent Call were the opening acts. I could picture Metallica hanging out with them backstage. Metallica was cool like that. Lucky, lucky bastards. After the two bands fronted, it was already dark. I was excited as hell, but I didn’t want time to fly fast because I knew I wanted to stay in the moment. Part of me did not want the concert start.
Their rock star-looking roadies started sound-checking their guitars. Hammet and Hetfield’s ESPs. Damn. The crowd, as if they didn’t lose enough energy from the front acts, suddenly felt a new surge of power and excitement within. Metallica was about to go up stage. What happened after was probably the loudest BOOM I’ve ever felt in my life. After the smoke cleared, I finally saw my idols – James Hetfield, Kirk Hammet, Lars Ulrich and classic Jason Newsted (unfortunately, his undercut was already cut), harmoniously playing that intro to Enter Sandman. It was surreal, it was loud, it was fucking LOUD. Wish I never woke up from that dream…
tanda mo na tsong
Man I was there too, it was freakin awsome!!! best concert i ever watched so far
I envy you guys!!! Too bad I was just five or six years old back then…
dude ang swerte mu naman!sana mag cncert ulit cla d2!grade 2 palang kze ku nunpmnta cla!hehe!na iimagine ku 2loy ung feeling mu habang na nunuod ka ng cncert nla!aztig!
anak ng! ang swerte mo pre…. dumedede pa yata kami ng mga time na yan. sana ma ulit naman concert nila d2 sa pinas. luluwas ako ng maynila pag nangyari yan. \m/
mark sino yung kumakanta sa Razorback nung time na yun? Si Mari ba?
oops sorry, hebigat days na pala yun! my mistake 😮
wow. kelan kaya sila babalik.
N ths very day is d 16th! Wow,time flies so fast,stl d memory rmains d same..We cld hv bumpd up–only my ticket is colord blue..Got it stl,n d Metallica ‘I Witness The Great Event’ sticker..Happy Anniversary!!!
totoo ba yan?>?
talagang nagconcert cla d2?
im only 8 yrs old then.
man, i was there too,, hehehe… two weeks mahina ang hearing ko & masakit ang batok ko after that concert.. kkheadbang… hehe..
nandun din ako nag-aaral ako sa manila, saan kaya makakuha ng video noon
God, you’re very lucky to have witnessed/ experience them play live.
may mga rumors na merun cla death magnetic tour d2 sa atin… 😀
i was there too. my brother was a crew then for sharon show which that time preparing for the sunday show. i was in front i pretended to be a crew, heheh. after the concert im almost deaf, tabi ko kasi ang cerwin vega na speakers.
sana makabalik ang metallica dito no… tiyak andon ako 12 years pa lang that time 1993… sadly wala na ci jason newsted my fave metallica member… anyway cino ba meron concert video ng metallica sa pinas bibilhin sa resonable price… anyone?
Grabe, ako hindi pa ako napapanganak niyan, 1994 kasi ako pinanganak. hay. idol ko pa naman si Kirk Hammett
pare, wala na bang foreign na underground ang nagfront act nun? sory, i was 13 at the time at na miss ko, pero may mga barkada kong nkapanood..inilublob nila sa coleman na may juice yung casette recorder na nsa ziploc bag.. tapos pinarinig nila sakin..kaka kilabot.. swerte mo.. cheers mate!
talaga bro, nkpgrecord tropa mo.. ang galing, buhay p kya ung tape.. hehe.. kakilabot tlaga, ako mkita ko lang ung stadium, formerly ultra open grounds, kinikilabutan nco.. first concert ko un tapos metallica pa..
Sana bumalik uli sila dito sa manila!
Hi guys,
Ehem! We all share the same passion as Metallica fans. I happen to be in a country where they will be touring this October. METALLICA IS TOURING HERE IN NEW ZEALAND!!! HELL YEAH!! \m/\m/. Nakabili na kami ni misis ng 4 tickets kasi na-sold out ang tickets in just 4 minutes–imagine that! Sa Aussie nagdagdag na sila ng 3rd show, dito sa NZ 2 shows naman. I hope they consider touring Manila. Sana may isang production na mag contact sa agent ng Metallica. I think all of you guys in Manila should unite!
Mabuhay ang mga Pinoy!!!
Wow, thanks for sharing this! They’re touring Oz and Japan starting September. Sayang di sila dadaan dito 🙁 Was too young in ’93 to watch them. Glad to read your blog post about that gig 🙂
hanggang ngayon kinikilabutan pa ko pag naaalala ko yung” enter sandman” at “seek and destroy”! sabi ni hetfield “manila let me see some action!!!” tapos yung intro ng “seek and destroy” and all hell breaks loose ika nga! may lumilipad na silya,sapatos, bote ng mineral water na may alak,putik,enderwear at tao mismo! then sumindi yung ilaw nung grounds may mga sugatan pero minor lang, maya-maya sigawan na at palakpakan! sabi ni hetfield ” man yuor the second wildest crowd in the fucking universe! secon to detroit that is! so we give it up to you guys! tumayo yung apat sa hapar sabay palapak sa crowd, “THIS GOES TO YOU MANILA!!!”
syanga pala kasama ko si odie nun my cousin, kasi hindi makabili ng ticket yung ibang tropa kasi sold out! YOU MISS A LOT! salamat sa ovation production at sa sm ticketnet! bwwaaa! ha! ha! ha!
tang ina fuck!
xit buti ka pa ,kakaingit, tsk. e2 nga pla email ko ad pki ad ako s facebook pls. froigago@yahoo.com..i want to see ur face..i enjoyed reading your fucking awsome blog tnx
Sana bumalik sila dito!
8months pa lang kasi ako nung april 17, ’93. grrr..
wow peole who witnesed this event are gaddamn lucky!!..theyve seen metallica during their prime and thats the metallica that i want to watch.sadly they are on a decline.but good thing they redeemed themeselves by putting an album that goes back to their roots death magnetic and that i would say metallica is back after a dissappointing st anger that really angered me a lot when i purchased it.hehe.sana mag concert sila dito for the last time bgo sila mag retire hehe.
Last 2 great Concerts in Pinas ive witnessed
Metallica with Front Act by pinoy rock Band RazorBack and Advent Call
Pearl Jam with their own foreign Front act MudHoney
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!
Thanks To my friends and cousin who were with me that eventful day
fucking awesome!! sana magconcert ulit cla d2.. so sad i was only 2 yrs old that time.. wla p akong kaalam alam s mundo nun.. pag nagconcert cla d2 ngayon pang VIP ticket bibilhin ko.. haha!
man we were there too wd my buddy alvin tejada,imagine were both came all d way from imus at nabili ko pa ang ticket ko sa sm sta.cruz,maski ang band na the dawn nandun din.then after ng concert sa bakod n kmi dumaan eh,mkauwi lang.solve pre!sna next tym wag na umambon,,.cinipon ako nun tym na un.long live metallica!nsa rock n roll hall of fame na!
nanuod din ako nyan pre,,mag 1st year high school pa lang ako at muntikan na ako di payagan ng ermats ko kasi ako lang ang nanuod at puro hip hop ang mga tropa ko nun. lucky you kasi 1200 ang ticket mo. 600 lang ang nakayanan ko nun 🙁 and i remember karl roy of advent call wearing a wedding gown. then i knew that we have also a great local band here and a great crowd na kala ko sa abroad lang meron. lalo na yung mga punks.
WTF!! 1.2k lang oh! swerte sana hanggang ngayon ganyan parin kammura! Grabe 1 yr old palang ako nyan, SWerte nyo! METALLICA \m/
i was 9 years old at that time when Metallica announce na mag ka2ncert cila d2 sa Pasig pero narinig qna ung balita elementary plang aq pero.hindi aq interisado dahil hindi qpa cla noon kilala.nakikita qlang ang pangalang metallica sa mga damit ng mga tambay at rakista sa amin..pero qng mauulit na mag k0ncert cila d2 hindi qna palalampasin..
Walang makakaawat sa kin pag bumalik sila dto shit! Talagang sila ang priority ko! Nagconcert na ang Megadeth. Pero Metallica tlga ang para sken! Pinag iipunan ko ngayon pa lang. Sana maganap na to!!! Sana talaga!!! James Hetfield is my dream man! =)) I’m fuckin’ obsessed !!!
I was there! I went alone because my friend who was supposed to go with me to the concert stood me up that day. I was thinking of selling my ticket outside ULTRA because I dont want to go alone but I thought “what the heck, this IS Metallica.. my fave band and I wouldn’t miss this gig for ANYTHING!” so alone I went, was able to catch Razorback and Advent Call’s set and waited anxiously for the ‘tallica guys to perform. My ticket was only worth P250 but when the opening riffs of Enter Sandman blared on the speakers and James, Kirk, Jason and Lars appeared onstage the people frantically ran to the front tearing down the barricades that separated us from the VIP section and I was lucky enough to get close to the stage and enjoyed the whole evening headbanging my ass off. The gig ended past midnight and even though I went home alone it was one of the best nights of my life. The next day I was able to talk to my “no-show” friend and told him of my experience watching and seeing Metallica live and I can tell by the look on his face that he regrets having been not able to attend the gig with me. What a vindication. 🙂
Awesome!!!! It was my dream to see Metallica here in the Philippines. I want to see them live before they retire. Sadly, Jason left Metallica… There is no doubt that Robert is a good bass player, but his “crab walk” is somewhat annoying.
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Five years old pa lang ako nun. Pero nag start ako nakinig ng heavy metal nung 8 yrs old ako. Lullaby ko nun Scorpions, Nazareth, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, basta mga Hard Rock and Glam Metal. Nung High School and Elementary eh ako lang sa buong school namin ang nakikinig ng mga ganun. Pero nung nasa College na ako meron na din akong nakilalang fan ng Heavy Metal. Swerte ung mga iba jan na maraming kakilalang fan ng Metallica. Dito sa amin wala man lang ka-Jam! Puro kasi mga uhugin!
I want them to come again, but I hope they don’t play Araneta as its very UNFRIENDLY to moshers!
I was there… who could ever forget this event? Advent Call and Razor Back did great too in the opening of the concert… in this concert also where i met my hubby 🙂
all i can say is LOUD, really LOUD, towering cabinets of community speakers blasting all the wax out of my ears! i was right smack in front of the stage, only the steel fence separates me, my friend and all the metal heads around us from metallica! literally a spit away from hetfield! to get a higher vision, we had to step on the backrest of those rattan chairs, clung on to each other, sweats and all! it was awesome! funny part was we had G.A. tickets sold at P250 each! from way out back, lights went out enter sandman intro played, people started going crazy, screaming, running and climbing fence! we just had to do it too jump those f’in fences! can we kept walking towards the stage, thru obstacles of fans banging heads, until we’ve reached the very front! something i wont forget… it was really an experience!
wtf..swerte nyo pito plang ako nun..i dont even know metallica came here back then till reading this blog..hope they come back again..kirk hammet want to see you shred live,,fuck!!
My friends and I was, there. On a 200 peso tickets, we stormed towards the stage front. right on the railings. Man, the experience was super 3-storeys high speakers, drumbeats pounding hard like you can feel the punch. Sad thing is, there were no smartphones back then and cameras weren’t allowed inside that time. Daym!