In the last week the postman brought me two very cool Metallica concert posters. When buying them, I wanted to create a set together with the tickets. It worked because the tickets and posters have common features - town and the hall where concerts were held – Schleyer Halle, Stuttgart in Germany. The indoor arena was built in 1983, the year before the first Metallica visit in Germany but in 1984, band not filled the hall to 15,000 people. The Four Horsemens gave their first concert in the Schleyer Halle in November 1988 during the European Damaged Tour. Unfortunately I have no ticket and poster from that concert.
from my "Wanted" list. This one above found on ebay
Another Metallica concert in the Schleyer Halle took place during the Wherever we may roam Tour in the winter of 1992. Metallica was at the peak of its popularity. Black album, black shirts, black poster and black concert tickets. The black design is characteristic for the most of the tickets and posters from the German part of the tour. Paradoxically, a ticket from Stuttgart has a different design and my copy bears the sign of the times - the original color was not too much. In the case of a poster, at first glance it seems that there is nothing but a black color, but at the right angle you can see the team logo and two snakes.
1992 ticket
Back in black - poster from 1992 concert
For the next visit Metallica fans in Stuttgart had to wait 4 years. The specificity of the venue forced the organization of concerts held in the winter. Next stop in Stuttgart was in 1996 during the Poor Touring Me Tour. Metallica's new image of the musicians was reflected in the design of European concert tickets and posters from this period. Just in case the ticket from 1996 Stuttgart is not what we call “picture ticket” but most other European tour tickets shown photo from Load album booklet. We see them on posters promoting the concert. With this ticket related to some kind of story - because it was the first Metallica ticket purchased by me on eBay.
My very first ticket from ebay (above) with backstage pass (below)
Poster from 1996 concert. Most of the European tickets had design like this poster.
Photo stolen from ebay
Metallica's last performance so far in the Schleyer Halle was a concert that took place during World Magnetic Tour in 2009. All German posters on this tour have the same design. My poster is pretty huge and in perfect condition but the ticket shows signs of damage.
...blood sweat and tears. Ticket from 2009 show...
...and huge poster (80 x 60 cm)
Finally, I would write something about the origins of the name of the hall. Not everyone can know that the arena was named for Hanns Martin Schleyer, a German Employer Representative, and former SS officer and Nazi activist, who was kidnapped and killed by the terrorist Red Army Fraction.
