S&M

Do you know what today is the day?. April 21. Exactly 13 years ago Metallica played their first gig with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. It was the first of the two (the second took place a day later) concert at Berkeley Community Theater in San Francisco. Although this was not the first ever combination of rock music with a symphony orchestra before, no one tried to collaborate with such a heavy music. Maestro Michael Kamen has previously worked with Metallica with so-called “elevator version” song Nothing Else Matters, which was released on single. Now, however, it was not one piece but the whole album. Concerts have been recorded and published in November 1999 as a S & M album. In my view the versions of some songs with the orchestra sounds pretty good. The best example is the opening song The Call of Ktulu - an epic work that dazzles its monumentality. An instrumental piece written in 1984 seems to be created to arrange it for orchestra. As you can imagine tickets for two concerts in San Francisco sold out very quickly.

Two complimentary tickets from Tony Smith

Each of the fans at the Berkeley Community Theater in his seat (there was only seating space, but the audience was more standing than sitting and some came into the scene) found concert program

Concert program (easiest to find) from Berkeley Community Theater...

...and laminated pass for two nights

My tickets from these concerts, I have bought from Tony Smith, a former tour manager of Metallica and the first president of the official fan club. Currently, tickets from these concerts very rarely appear in the sale. Better looking case with programs that you can buy without much problem on eBay (prices started from $ 30). Most fans associate Metallica concerts with the orchestra only with those two shows in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the team promoting the album S&M play in November the same year two more concerts.

ticket from 19 november 1999 show

Concert program (hardest to find) from Berlin Velodrom

Both led by maestro Michael Kamen with different orchestras. The first concert was held November 19 in Berlin Velodrom hall with Berliner Symphoniker. After the concert was aftershow party with some band members. My friends, who managed to get to this party mention many beers with Lars and pictures with band members.

Invitation for Aftershow party...

...and promo sticker signed by Michael Kamen (RIP) and Jason Newsted

The last of the concerts took place four days later in New York's Madison Square Garden, accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke. An interesting fact is that this concert was recorded in its entirety - I remember an auction on eBay which have been put up for sale three promo radio CD’s with recorded whole concert. A ticket to this concert is very hard to find. From the entire set of four concerts the hardest to buy are ticket from Madison Square Garden and the program from Berlin. Other tickets and programs appear once or twice a year on eBay.

ticket from MSG ...You have to be lucky to find this one for sale

 concert program from MSG with the Orchestra of St. Luke