While the hype heading into Power Trip weekend was squarely behind the return of AC/DC, it became quickly apparent Sunday night that Metallica were the festival’s main attraction.
Just how massive are Metallica? Only a few weeks removed from performing for more than 150,000 fans over two sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium, they returned to Southern California to close out Power Trip and clearly packed the largest and most rabid crowd of the weekend.
I was at the first night of SoFi, and with all due respect, Power Trip saw Metallica executing at a completely different level.
Maybe it was the magnitude of the moment. Metallica witnessed the awesome return of AC/DC, fans were still buzzing about Guns N’ Roses two days later, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (my pick for the surprise set of the festival) brought the metal, and Tool were otherworldly. You had to know Metallica wouldn’t be dialing it in.
And the stage definitely made a difference. Their performance lost me a little in the round, but at Power Trip the stage was tight, the visuals were gripping, and the setlist was, well, a proverbial power trip.
From openers “Whiplash” and “Creeping Death” to the closing trio of “Seek & Destroy,” “One” and “Master Of Puppets” (see complete setlist below). they didn’t leave time to breath. My standout moment? The incendiary drop from “Fade to Black” to “give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire…”
Metallica are one of the reasons I do what I do, and it’s admittedly been a while since they made me feel the way I felt at Power Trip. They gave us all that which we desired, and they proved why there is noone else at their level.
There couldn’t have been a better way to close out Power Trip.
Metallica close out Power Trip with “Master Of Puppets”
Metallica Power Trip setlist
1. Whiplash
2. Creeping Death
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls
4. Enter Sandman
5. Lux Aeterna
6. Too Far Gone?
7. Fade To Black
8. Fuel
9. Orion
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Sad But True
12. The Day That Never Comes
13. Hardwired
14. Seek & Destroy
15. One
16. Master Of Puppets
