Lars Ulrich Reveals His Highlights From Metallica's S&M2 Shows

On September 6 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Metallica made history yet again. 20 years on from their original S&M album, the thrash titans enlisted the San Fran Symphony Orchestra for another night of classical-meets-metal greatness.

The setlist incorporated all eras of Metallica; from The Day That Never Comes to Halo On Fire to (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth – performed on double-bass by the symphony.

“The Anesthesia bass solo was incredible," Lars Ulrich tells Kerrang!. "The way the fans reacted to that was goosebump-city. I loved the dare of playing Iron Foundry. I loved revisiting songs we don’t play so often like The Outlaw Torn and The Call Of Ktulu.

"I loved how Edwin [Outwater] brought one sort of dynamic when he was conducting the more rock stuff, and how Michael Tilson Thomas – the maestro, the elder statesman of his world – brought in some different pieces and encouraged the fans to understand where the symphonic and rock worlds overlap.

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"Most of all, though, the fact that there was no barricade stood out. When was the last time you went to a rock show of that size without one? What does that barricade do? What does it mean? It’s a safety thing, but in essence it’s something that separates people. I loved just being able to walk out with the fans. At one point I leaned back and let myself go into their embrace. That was a great moment.”

If you weren't lucky enough to be at one of the S&M2 shows, you'll be able to watch it in cinemas worldwide for one night only on October 9. Check out Metallica.Film for more information.

Keep your eyes out for more Metallica news on Kerrang! at 5pm UK today...

Our full live report and exclusive interview with Lars is in the new issue of Kerrang magazine. Get your copy now.