Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett took an unceremonious tumble on stage in Dublin's Aviva Stadium last Friday, June 19, sending shockwaves through the packed crowd. The incident unfolded during 'Seek & Destroy', when it seemed a stage cover gave way beneath his feet, leaving him teetering precariously near the edge of the stage. But Hammett's quick reflexes saw him recover rapidly, and with his signature deadpan humour, he carried on with the song – later poking fun at the mishap on Instagram by renaming it 'Slip & Destroy'.
This was just days after he had courted controversy for sporting a satirical T-shirt bearing the caption 'Taylor Swift Is A CIA Psyop' during Metallica's June 13 Budapest show. The tongue-in-cheek jab at conspiracy theorists who claim the pop superstar is secretly working for the government sparked outrage among Taylor Swift's devoted fanbase, known as the 'Swifties', with images of the T-shirt spreading rapidly across social media.
Metallica is currently dominating Europe and the UK on their massive 'M72' world tour. The Dublin gig was the first of two nights at Aviva Stadium, backed by Pantera and Avatar in support slots – a format they're sticking to for each city's two-night stint, as per their innovative 'No Repeat Weekend' schedule.
This summer is set to get even more electrifying as Metallica heads to Glasgow, Cardiff, and London for their UK dates later this month. What's more, the band has partnered with UK blood services to promote blood and plasma donations in conjunction with these shows – a testament to their dedication to engaging with fans beyond just their music.
And if that wasn't enough, Metallica is all set to unleash 'Reload (Remastered)', an expanded reissue of their 1997 album on June 26, featuring previously unreleased material. With such an onslaught of action both on and off stage, it's no wonder their fans are counting down the days until they can catch these heavy metal legends live in the UK.