I'll see Metallica again... and again

March 17, 2006. 21:00. The bands are finishing up their sound checks, and then softly in the background I hear James Hetfield's voice: "Thanks guys, sounds good... and thanks to you guys outside."

It was the beginning of my Metallica experience and one that I will never forget.

March 18, 2006. When the gates opened that faithful day I simply ran and could not have been bothered by anything or anyone who happened to be in my way.

I got my spot, right in the middle and right in front of the railings. I stayed there the entire day, not eating, or drinking anything (a toilet run would let me lose my spot).

Then the acts started. Not bad I thought, but I'm here for the big show.

Seether did well to set the mood

And slowly but surely it got heavier, until we had Seether, SA's biggest music export on stage, and out of the left of my eye, I saw them: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammet standing in the bleachers checking out the crowd. We all saw em and there was an ear defining rore from the crowd.

"Metallica! Metallica! Metallica! Metallica!"

Seether did well to set the mood. They even played the intro to Sad But True. But they weren't the band I came to see.

The stadium went quiet for a while, then it all went dark and the two screens on either side of the stage lit up with the familiar scenes of a man desperately running from something while The Ecstasy of Gold played in the background, and just as it reached its culmination, it happened.

We will be there again

The kings of metal came running onto the stage and started their education of the South African metal audience.

It was by far the greatest moment in my short life, especially when James uttered the words: "So this is where all the wild animals are."

I would go home that night not being able to sleep or think of anything else, but Metallica. And guess what, we went to see them again and again.

I don't know how many fans followed them around South Africa, but we did.  Neels Wessels and Wessel Vosser did all they could to see the band they thought they would never see again.

And then the announcement yesterday. We will be there again and again.

Metallica...There simply is no other heavy band that can compete!

Disclaimer: This is an article written by a Channel24 user. The views of users published on Channel24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Channel24. Channel24 reserves the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.