Metallica performs during a concert in Shanghai in 2013. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
In August 2013, Metallica performed in China for the first time, by holding two sold-out shows in Shanghai's Mercedes-Benz Arena. The band performed their hits, such as For Whom the Bell Tolls, Seek & Destroy and Enter Sandman, in front of over 20,000 fans.
According to AEG Live Asia, the promoter of Metallica's shows in China, 10,000 tickets sold out in a few minutes, prompting them to add another concert the next day.
In January 2014, the band collaborated with Chinese pianist Lang Lang on Metallica's classic song, One, the first single from their 1988 album ...And Justice for All, at the 56th annual Grammy Awards. Since the Grammy Awards broadcast was aired on TV in Shanghai and radio in Beijing, their performance has caused a stir among Chinese fans.
Founded in 1981 by drummer Ulrich, and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica has become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 110 million albums worldwide while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents.
They have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1991's Metallica, with sales of nearly 17 million copies in the United States alone. The band has also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
In December 2013, Metallica made history when they performed a rare concert in Antarctica, becoming the first act to ever play all seven continents all within a year, and earning themselves a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Ticket prices of Beijing concert range from 480 ($70) to 2,280 yuan ($334). Tickets will go on sale from 2pm on November 17 through ticketing hotline 400-610-3721, and online via Damai.cn.
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