Metallica Rock New York’s Webster Hall, Debut ‘Moth Into Flame’ Live

Fans are used to seeing Metallica rock massive stadiums, but on Sept. 27, 2016, the metal legends played an intimate club gig at New York's Webster Hall for about 1,500 lucky fans, and we were fortunate to be among those in attendance.

The concert itself was announced only a few days prior, and tickets were made available for $25 each to members of Metallica's fan club who won a lottery. Proceeds from the sold-out show benefited City Harvest.

On top of all of that, the night marked the 30th anniversary of the tragic death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton in a bus crash, adding another level of magnitude to the gig.

The band kicked off the show with a cover of Budgie's "Breadfan," followed by "Holier Than Thou." A few songs later, Metallica performed the new song "Moth Into Flame" for the first time live. The track appears on the band's 2016 record, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct.

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One of the highlights of the set was when the band performed "Orion," the instrumental track off Master of Puppets that was perhaps Burton's crowning achievement with the band. After the song, frontman James Hetfield gave a brief tribute, saying, "Thirty years. We miss you, Cliff."

Other highlights throughout the night included "Master of Puppets," "Enter Sandman," the new song "Hardwired" and the set-closer "Seek & Destroy."

At the end of the night, each member of the band took turns at the mic to thank the crowd, with drummer Lars Ulrich mentioning a number of the New York area venues they used to play when they first started out, and then dropping news that they'd be playing a large outdoor venue across the river in 2017, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Watch Metallica Perform "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Live at Webster Hall

Watch Metallica Perform "Moth Into Flame" Live at Webster Hall

Metallica — Sept. 26, 2016 at Webster Hall in New York, New York

1. “Breadfan”
2. “Holier Than Thou”
3. "Battery"
4. “Harvester of Sorrow”
5. “Fade to Black”
6. “Moth Into Flame”
7. “Sad But True”
8. “Orion”
9. “One”
10. “Master of Puppets”
11. “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
12. “Enter Sandman”
Encore
13. “Whisky in the Jar”
14. “Hardwired”
15. “Seek and Destroy”