Metallica and Tool at Power Trip Festival: Watch Footage of Their Epic Sets

2023-10-09

Yellow image of the metal band Metallica

Metallica – Story by Charles Ken, photo by Tim Saccenti

Watch footage of Metallica and Tool closing out Power Trip Festival

Call it the heavy metal version of Coachella. The inaugural Power Trip Festival rolled into the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, last weekend, serving up heavy sounds to tens of thousands of music fans. The show, which took place in the same spot as the annual Coachella, featured a handful of big-named acts to the event, including AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Tool. The latter two bands wrapped up the evening on Sunday (Oct. 8) with pummeling sets.

The show kicked off Friday (Oct. 6) with headlining sets from Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses. The following night, on Saturday (Oct. 7), the guys of AC/DC performed their first show in seven years, and Judas Priest announced their new album and rocked a full set.

Then, it was time for Metallica and Tool. What’s interesting is that this festival was heavy on classic metal names. It was even originally supposed to feature Ozzy Osbourne, but he had to drop off due to health concerns. So, Tool was, by far, the “youngest” band on the bill. Are Tool classic yet? We’re not sure, but they’re getting there, at least when you look at the history of progressive metal.

Tool were up first on Sunday at Empire Polo Club. They weren’t a stranger to the venue, as they had performed there at the inaugural Coachella festival in 1999 and Coachella again in 2006. The band launched into their 2006 hit “Jambi,” off their album “10,000 Days,” which arrived that same year. From there, Maynard James Keenan and company went on to perform 12 songs spanning their entire career, including tracks from their debut album, “Undertow,” up through their most recent release, 2019’s “Fear Inoculum.” The set was heavy on favorites, which is just how fans like it.

Then, it was time for the kings of metal, Metallica. The band closed out the event with a lengthy set, consisting of 16 songs from nine of their 11 albums. Fans didn’t have to worry about only hearing new songs off Metallica’s latest album, “72 Seasons,” either. The band gave fans a treat, performing all the hits into a compact evening of heavy metal and thrash. A few highlights included “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Enter Sandman,” “Nothing Else Matters” and “Seek & Destroy.”

One funny moment came with Hammett seemed to mess up the intro to “Nothing Else Matters,” which has happened before on the band’s latest “M72 World Tour.” He may have been embarrassed, but it’s nice to see the human element of a rock star once in a while. At Power Trip, he exclaimed, “Sorry, guys. I did it again. I screwed it up again. I’m gonna play it again for you… You know, it’s really hot in this fucking desert.”

Metallica closed out the night with a medley consisting of “Seek & Destroy,” “One” and “Master of Puppets.” Really, Metallica were a fitting final act for this event. They’re arguably the biggest heavy metal band in the world, and the goal of Power Trip seemed to be highlighting the biggest and best heavy music on the planet. Not word yet on if Power Trip will return in 2024, but considering the festival sold out in a jiffy, our bet is yet. Watch video of both Metallica and Tool below.

Following their Power Trip performance, Metallica will continue on their “M72 World Tour” in November, and that tour will take them into 2024. Likewise, Tool recently embarked on their fall 2023 North American tour, which will keep them on the road through the end of this year.

Charles Ken
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Posted by Charles Ken | Metal, Music, Rock News

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