Gods of Metal: Metallica

 I have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful experiences.  I was a part of Bangalore history again by seeing the American heavy metal icons "Metallica"perform for the first time ever in India.  Adding to my "Land of a Million Gods" theme, I have found four more gods in India, the "Gods of Metal." Metallica had been slated to perform in Delhi two days prior, but it was cancelled due to poor security barriers and the event organizers were arrested, apparently for overselling the venue.  The entire city seemed rife with anticipation and a little nervousness that Bangalore could pull-off what the "National Capital" could not.  For me, this concert, with this band, represented a fusion of my own American cultural background and the larger context that represents the magic of India.  An estimated 50,000 fans waited all day in two drenching rains to see the great masters of heavy metal.  Metallica did not disappoint, and put on a spectacular show complete with songs that spanned three decades.   

I remember annoying my parents by blasting their music in my room on a cassette player boom box.  Their music, made famous by quick, crunchy guitar rifts and steel-sounding snare drums pummeled by Ulrich in a sound like a machine gun.  I never thought I would actually be able to see these greats in concert, let alone in India.  I was also happy to meet and bang my head with a group of new Indian friends.  They were very warm and inviting as we watched Formula One racing and crawled the "pubs" leading up to entering the venue.  I will not forget this day, it is too easy to abuse superlatives and lavish hyperbole, but this was something I waited a long time for.

The video below is of a segment of "Nothing Else Matters." Metallica is so amazing on so many levels, yet until I heard this live in India, I would not of described anything Metallica did as "beautiful," but this is exactly what it was.  I couldn't resist shooting a short video.  Of course it would not be a true metal concert without pyrotechnics, and Metallica happily fulfilled this requirement.

I stood in line for more than two hours the day before to collect the tickets I had purchased more than a month before.  By the time I had them in my hands I could not believe it, the long line behind me cheered for me as securing tickets for a foreigner was more difficult than one would think (they think Moscow is only in Russia, but that is another story). All this added to the suspense and excitement.

We went pub crawling before the concert, I am now understanding Bangalore's "Pub Culture."  Here is a demonstration of mixing a drink outside of what I would call a liquor store or more accurately, "liquor stand" (they kept calling a "pub").  This particular cocktail is Indian whiskey mixed with water.  Indian whiskey must be cut by two-thirds because unlike U.S. Bourbon or Scotch, it is too "flavorful" to be enjoyed straight. Drinking straight might cause overwhelming sensations.

My new Indian friends.  They were so welcoming and hospitable.  We were happy to share our two cultures with one another.  I feel that I have opened up to India and India has opened up to me.  Thank you especially to Naveed!

The "Palace Grounds" are fit for a queen to grace.  We all left looking like we worked in a rice paddy all night.  It was a good thing Neuilly wasn't with me so I could wear running shoes with my jeans, they worked out well, but Vietnam era jungle boots would have been better.

Tower climbers will have fingers whacked by law enforcement with a bamboo pole.  The Fuzz gets to fulfill their unresolved impulses and see the concert for free, often from the best seats in the house. 

"Master of Puppets."  Thirty years of music was covered in more than two hours of non-stop exhilarating music.

This is the closest I was able to get to the stage. The crowds were very difficult to navigate within and among.  All 50,000 of us left through one exit, U.S. fire marshals would have had a shit-fit.  In the end, we all got to see a great show and got to where we needed to after.