Friday 27 March 2009

Metallica rocked the SECC Glasgow

At one point James Hetfield, the lead singer of Metallica, punched his fist in the air and asked everyone who were witnessing the band for the first time to put their hand in the air.

Most of the audience put their hands in the air.

Then he asked the veterans of Metallica to do the same, those who'd followed them for years.

Most of the audience put their hands in the air.

That's Glasgow all over!

We might have a reputation for turning up to the opening of an envelope just for a drink and to let off some steam, but whatever motivated most folks to go to the Metallica gig last night at the SECC Glasgow, as far as I'm concerned, the band repayed that motivation with distinction.

I had a petrifying fear that this gig, and our undoubted fame for being one of the most fiersome audiences in the world, might have been ruined again by the number of mobile phones and cameras being held up to capture the event, all the YouTubes and Twitterettes interested more in watching than in continuing the Glasgwegian tradition of getting stuck right in and making noise.

To be honest, my fear was that I'd be embarrassed for Glasgow. But thankfully, my fear crumbled as soon as the band took the stage after Machinehead had whipped us all to a frenzy, and I found myself once again immersed in wave after never-ending wave of energy. OK, so I've no longer got the long hair, the dark soul I had in my teens, but who really cares, because for a few hours at least last night, the air guitar came back out and once again I became the Goth my parents hated.

Absolutely loved it!