Melbourne review wrap: Metallica at Marvel Stadium; Affinity String Quartet at the Melbourne Recital Centre; TWICE at Marvel Stadium; Blanc de Blanc Encore at Spiegel Haus Melbourne; Joost Lijbaart an

MUSIC

Metallica ★★★★

Marvel Stadium, November 8

Gone was the crushing disappointment of 2019 when fans learned heavy metal titans Metallica cancelled their Australian tour. Instead, towering frontman James Hetfield warmly welcomed “the Metallica family” who roared in celebration of the band’s return to Melbourne.

Only days ago there was a distinctly Manchester swagger as Oasis fans flooded into Marvel Stadium over three nights. This week, iconic rockers AC/DC will be back on Australian soil to thrill their legion of fans, but on this night the awesome power of Metallica was on full display.

As the lights dimmed, the first deafening roar came as AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top ( If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll ) signalled the arrival of Hetfield and his bandmates on stage. Metallica