I can add the date 13rd of July 2014 to my list of concerts that changed my life. Of course I’m talking about Metallica Istanbul Concert. Before I give the details, let me give you a summary with one word: Awesome!
I spent my annual leave as one week for some reason.
It is 14:30, I’ve just started to feel serious in subway. It seems like big mass of Metallica t-shirts get in subway.
After this short trip, we get in a cab and ask for “ITU Stadium”, taxi driver replies, “You are going to concert, aren’t you?”
There are classical concert hats and Metallica headbands around the entrance. We bought hats, thankfully, salesman said “Either you buy them, or you die of sunstroke.” and he was right.
CLICK HERE FOR THE TURKISH VERSION!
We didn’t realise that it was a long way to walk while we were coming to the concert, but we did realise while we were going back home. There are many other people with Metallica t-shirts with us.
We arrive the concert field. There are ten thousands of people and it looks as if it’s getting more crowded every second. We try to go further to the stage, at least we aim to leave 10-20 people behind. In the meantime, the sun is in its most caustic shape.
It’s getting harder to remain standing. After a while, I can’t remain stand since I can’t find any place to put my feet!
It’s getting harder to remain standing. After a while, I can’t remain stand since I can’t find any place to put my feet.
The most entertaining part of the crowd is unending water wars. It is so hot that people beg each other to throw water on them.
Unfortunately, water is too expensive to do that, after some time it becomes a luxury. Some people are being the coolest ones by playing card games. At this very moment, people fall on our heads.
People bring the house down, because James Hetfield is among us! I mean, they must be twins, he looks just like him. People gaze around him, they shake his hands and take photos with him bewilderedly.
Sometimes people cheer and raise to the bait more and more. You can understand from the photographs what an epic crowd there was.
Once the doors are open, there is a wave of happiness among people. We push each other, walk through 2-3 steps and stand still. Again, 2-3 steps, stop, one more step, stop again. We are no difference than The Walking Dead figurants.
We finally arrive the gate door. When I see “Silver” I walk faster automatically and take my place in front of the stage.
The field was not completely filled up, we take photos, explore the field and criticise the field respectively. In the meantime, I catch a lot of Metallica t-shirts that are the same.
There are Russian tourists on the right side of us and they are really big fans. I am still at somewhere between laughing them and admiring them. I must have said before, I love Russians.
Pentagram comes to the stage as warm-up act and we get literally “warm”. Despite of some technical issues, Pentagram does a great job.
At the same time, we see voting competition of Battery, Fuel and Whiskey In the Jar in huge screens. People also shake their hands when the video “Hi, we are Metallica…” shows up.
If I should explain the best moment of the concert, catcalling of Lady Gaga would be it. When there are promotional videos of Lady Gaga concerts, we all swear very intimately.
Handclaps don’t stop even during preparation of the stage, my pulse is at its highest rate ever. After an entertaining Metallica By Request video, that moment comes. Here they are, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Truijillo.
The opening song is Master Of Puppets, our energy is multiplied by 10, naturally. I stop shouting “Masteeeeeer” for a while and try to scratch the moment, feeling and atmosphere to my mind. I feel this energy dragging me to somewhere.
We lose ourselves after Creeping Death and Sanitarium. Then, the top point of the concert for me, The Memory Remains comes. It is an unforgettable moment for me since it is one of my favourite songs, James also does his best as if he was prepared for it dedicatedly and the audience sang along very well. I feel like I am going to lie over the barriers and touch the ground while singing along.
Lords Of Summer starts after some chill time with The Unforgiven. The audience stares blankly during this performance. I do my mission by jumping or closing my eyes and singing along And Justice For All.
When Kirk comes in front of us, he smiles because of our scream. We find this an opportunity to shout more enthusiastic.
The girl who comes to the stage to announce Sad But True gives a message for Soma and makes everyone handclap like hell. Orion after Fade To Black makes everyone fly. This is an epic moment and it becomes more meaningful when James greets Cliff Burton at the end.
After we listen One, we all say “what the fuck?” when we see the guy who comes to then stage. I’ve searched about it on the internet and I found out that everyone made bad comments and swore about it. He looks like he is accidentally in this concert, his speech and the way he announces the song makes everyone angry.
Thankfully, For Whom The Bell Tolls makes a medicine effect on us. I damaged my throat for the first time with Wherever I May Roam. It is one of the most fantastic experience of my life to sing it along with James.
I would like to point out that they are all legendaries and they all have great energy but Kirk Hammett is yet another one. A human can’t be cuter and more communicator with the audience.
James is also very cheerful. I can confess that I am happy to be on the good way because I used to criticise him. His stage charisma made some people scream like “Marry me Jameeeees!”.
Apart from being a fan or listener, James and Kirk are still very handsome and attractive, if you know what I mean.
We lose ourselves again with Nothing Else Matters, now it’s Enter Sandman’s turn. I spent all my past, current and future voices in that moment. This song has a very different energy. I felt the same happiness of Soundgarden concert’s Burden In My Hand time to live this moment in there.
We sing along Turn The Page which some people are upset to be chosen and some are happy.
Now it’s the winner’s turn, Battery! I don’t feel tired because of this song’s energy source effect even though it is the end of the night. Seek and Destroy stiffens that feeling.
Giant Metallica balloons that are thrown to the field causes brawl. I grab my balloon and also three guita picks! That night is one of my luckiest nights. It is like a postponed birthday celebration for me.
Metallica greets all of us, Lars tells us that we are going to meet again and one of the most beautiful nights of my life ends. Some people lay in the field and watch World Cup 2014 on the screen that is prepared for this, several guys that are rolling on the huge balloon to extinguish it catch my eye.
Return path comes long this time. It is hard to go back, especially after a night like that. I still scream “exit light enter night” on the road.
I feel sorry when I sit in cab with my balloon, however I feel happy to understand that this is not my last Metallica concert…
PS: Thanks Mert Celebi for English translation!
MÜŞRA DEMİR
