Recommendations of the Editorial team
The voices of disappointed Metallica fans who will not have fond memories of the concert in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium are increasing on social networks. The reason: Inside, the band members are often far away and constantly moving. If you are not standing directly at the barrier or in the snake pit, you will mainly see backs or small figures in the distance over long stretches. The high stage towers and construction would affect sight lines depending on the position. Some viewers wrote that they ultimately watched large parts of the show via the video walls.
Also in the ROLLING STONE social: “I could have saved myself the few hundred euros”, “I saw James Hetfield as Mini-Me” – or comments about the supposed lack of dynamics when the band has to interrupt their concerts for a few moments to position drums and microphones at the other end of the round stage.
Nobody has the classic front view anymore, but hardly anyone has the optimal view in the long term. Except the visitors in the expensive Snake Pit.
Is the M72 stage a faulty design?
A common point of criticism about the “M72” concept is the circular “donut” stagee with Snake Pit in the middle. Metallica are advertising this as a 360-degree experience where you can see the band from anywhere.
There are also some videos on YouTube that deal with stage design issues, such as “How Come NO ONE Is Addressing This Major Issue With Metallica’s Stage Design?!” There, too, it is argued that the round stage looks spectacular, but is acoustically and visually not ideal for every position.
It is unfortunate that head-banging fans of the first hour suffer from limited visibility. On the other hand, Metallica has been touring with the “M72” stage since 2023. Anyone who buys tickets for the interior knows what they are getting into. Anyone who only buys tickets for the interior – not the Snakepit – because all other tickets were sold out too quickly is then involuntarily looking down the tube – or rather: at Metallica musicians who seem small.
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Why does Campino think that sometimes it’s good to just keep your mouth shut? Why does he sometimes feel like a drinks delivery man? He provides the answer in our cover story about the Toten Hosen’s big farewell, exclusively in issue 06/26. And that’s not all: the magazine includes the world exclusive 7-inch single “Always just loved” – on which Sven Regener from Element of Crime also contributed. You can easily order the ROLLING STONE edition here.
