Metallica Tour Dates

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The GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour was a famed joint, co-headlining concert tour by Guns N' Roses and Metallica during 1992. It took place in the middle of Guns N' Roses' much longer Use Your Illusion Tour as well as in the middle of Metallica's similarly epic Wherever We May Roam Tour.

History

The most famous event during the tour took place during a show on August 8, 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered second and third degree burns to his left arm after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast during the opening of "Fade to Black". Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another show. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. In addition, GN'R's notoriously volatile frontman Axl Rose claimed that his throat hurt, causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to a riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred during a GNR show near St. Louis one year earlier. This time the aggrieved audience members overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. Footage from the debacle was later included in the 1992 documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.

The tour resumed in Arizona, but with Hetfield in a sling and unable to play guitar for a while. Former Metallica roadie and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall filled in for the rest of the routing on guitar while Hetfield continued to sing.

Despite the turbulence, the tour was a big financial success, as both bands were at the peak of their commercial appeal.