Metallica Perform to Massive Moscow Crowd in 1991

By Damian Fanelli
published

This one comes to us via a post over at kottke.org. It's a clip of Metallica performing "Enter Sandman" in Moscow, Russia, in 1991.

Besides the impressive performance, the clip stands out because of the massive sea of people that turned out to watch the band.

The original post, which you can check out here, draws a comparison between the crowds that turned out for a Moscow food line, the opening of a new Shake Shack in the city, the opening of the Soviet Union's first McDonald's in 1990—and, of course, Metallica's historic 1991 appearance.

The September 28 show at Tushino Airfield "unofficially" drew 1.6 million people, although more realistic estimates say it was closer to 150,000 to 500,000. You decide!

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Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.