A Career-Spanning Setlist
Metallica opened their Life Burns Faster residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas on October 1 with a 16-song set that drew heavily from their classic catalog. The show began with Battery, the opener from Master of Puppets, and continued with Creeping Death as the second song. Other staples included Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, and The Call of Ktulu, which was dedicated to the band's late bassist Cliff Burton. The set also featured 21st-century anthems such as Now That We're Dead, The Day That Never Comes, and Lux Æterna.[S1]
The band closed the main set with a run of classics: Ride the Lightning, The Memory Remains, Seek & Destroy, and Master of Puppets. A notable inclusion was ...And Justice for All, the title track from their 1988 album, which had not been performed live since 2014. The setlist also included The Shortest Straw and a Kirk and Rob Doodle segment titled Sleepwalk My Life Away. The full setlist, as reported, comprised Battery, Creeping Death, Now That We're Dead, Sad but True, The Shortest Straw, Wherever I May Roam, The Day That Never Comes, ...And Justice for All, Kirk and Rob Doodle (Sleepwalk My Life Away), Nothing Else Matters, The Call of Ktulu, Lux Æterna, Ride the Lightning, The Memory Remains, Seek & Destroy, and Master of Puppets.[S1]
Residency Details and Tour Plans
The Life Burns Faster residency was first announced in February with an initial eight-date schedule at the 20,000-capacity Sphere. The band quickly added another 16 nights, bringing the total to 24 shows. The first performance took place on October 1. Prior to the launch, drummer Lars Ulrich acknowledged the challenge of the venue, describing it as overwhelming and intimidating, but expressed hope that the band would have it together by the first night. The show featured a retina-searing display, according to the report.[S1]
Beyond the Sphere dates, Metallica have added a dozen more North American concerts to their M72 tour, which got underway in March 2023. The newly listed appearances feature additional Sphere nights on January 28, February 4 and March 6, plus stadium stops throughout the US and Canada running into June 2026. Overall, the schedule stretches from October 1, 2025 at the Sphere through June 19, 2026 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.[S1]
