Metallica Play First Las Vegas Sphere Show

Metallica became the first metal band to perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas when they launched their Life Burns Faster residency on Thursday night (Oct. 1).

Setlist Highlights

The performance began with a furious rendition of 'Battery,' the high-octane opening track from Master of Puppets, followed by 'Creeping Death,' the lead single from 1984's Ride the Lightning.

James Hetfield's Opening Line

Frontman James Hetfield loudly asked, 'Vegas, do you want heavy?' early in the show, garnering a monstrous cheer in response.

“Vegas, do you want heavy?”

Visual Spectacle

Metallica mixed incredible visuals into their performance, including a gothic cathedral climbing walls during 'Now That We're Dead' with stained glass windows featuring band members' musical journeys.

Dedicated to Cliff Burton

The Call of Ktulu was dedicated to Metallica's late bassist Cliff Burton, almost exactly 40 years after his tragic death.

“The Call of Ktulu”

Residency Schedule

Metallica’s Sphere residency runs through March 2027, totaling 24 performances with no repeat setlists each weekend.

Lars Ulrich's Reaction

Lars Ulrich called the Sphere 'f, ing intimidating' but said it was a place they don't end up in often enough, as they tend to put themselves in controlled environments.

“f, ing intimidating”