"Good God!" Watch pro-shot footage of Metallica performing Ride The Lightning in Copenhagen

Metallica Copenhagen 2024
(Image credit: YouTube/Metallica)

After contending with thunder and lightning in Munich to kick off the 2024 European leg of their M72 World Tour in May, Metallica have proved they can still bring the lightning even when the heavens above aren't putting on their own light show. 

The band have recently shared pro shot footage of the title-track of their 1984 album Ride The Lightning taken from the second night of their appearance at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium on June 16. 

Playing "in the round", the band's performance comes on a ring-shaped stage set amidst the crowd, with the Snake Pit in the centre allowing fans to get up close and personal and footage of Ride The Lightning captures the sheer zeal and energy of the crowd as the band play the thrash classic. 

Copenhagen is an especially important location for Ride The Lightning, as Metallica decamped to the city in early 1984 to record the album. Drummers Lars Ulrich also grew up in the Danish capital. 

On a recent episode of Metallica's podcast The Metallica Report, frontman James Hetfield reminisced on his memories of the city and the lean early days of metal's biggest band where they resorted to "thieving" to survive

“[We were] up in the attic, sleeping on the floor and stealing food from other bands that were coming through there, stealing bikes just to get around, stealing empty beer bottles to go turn them in for more beer," he recalls. 

The M72 has continued on, Metallica playing Oslo on June 26 before headlining the Saturday night of France's Hellfest on June 29. 

Metallica are set to return to the "2 nights, no repeats" format of the M72 tour when they play Warsaw, Poland on Friday (July 5). 

The band are also set to tour North America from August 2. For the full list of tour dates, visit their official website

Watch Metallica perform Ride The Lightning in Copenhagen below.

Metallica: Ride the Lightning (Copenhagen, Denmark - June 16, 2024) - YouTube Metallica: Ride the Lightning (Copenhagen, Denmark - June 16, 2024) - YouTube
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Rich Hobson

Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token.