Two men were arrested for trespassing after climbing a central speaker tower during Metallica’s concert at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, on Saturday. The 20-year-old from Carey Park and the 23-year-old from Australind scaled the tower while the band played. Police asked them to come down, but when they refused, they were taken into custody. Both men will face court at a later date.
A spokesperson for Western Australia Police stated, “It will be alleged the men climbed up the central tower inside the bowl at the Metallica concert.” Social media videos showed the shirtless duo climbing the tower during the song “One.” The tower was located near the center of the stadium and was equipped with speaker stacks. After their arrest, officers escorted the men out of the venue.
This concert marked Metallica’s first performance in Australia in over 12 years, with more than 60,000 tickets sold. The show featured opening acts Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies. Metallica last toured Australia in 2013 as part of the Soundwave Festival. A planned tour in 2019 was canceled when frontman James Hetfield entered rehab.
The Australian dates are part of Metallica’s M72 world tour, named after their 2023 album, 72 Seasons. After the Perth show, the band will perform at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, followed by concerts at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Saturday, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on November 12, and Accor Stadium in Sydney on November 15. They will wrap up their Australia and New Zealand tour with a performance at Eden Park in Auckland on November 19.
Following their time in Australia and New Zealand, Metallica will head to Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE. Next summer, they will return to the UK and Europe for a stadium tour, with stops in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff, and London. Fans can find more information and tickets for upcoming shows online.
