Metallica Delivers Unforgettable Rain-Soaked Performance in Munich

On May 24, 2024, Metallica kicked off the European leg of their M72 World Tour at Munich’s Olympiastadion—and nature decided to put on a show of its own. As the thunderous opening riff of “Master of Puppets” tore through the night, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour, drenching both the band and tens of thousands of fans in attendance. It was a scene out of a rock epic—rain, lights, and raw electricity.

The timing was cinematic. Just as James Hetfield struck the iconic riff, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky directly above the stage, drawing gasps from the audience. It was one of those moments you don’t plan—you just survive it, ride it, and let it become part of the myth. And that’s exactly what Metallica did.

But what most fans didn’t realize was that Hetfield wasn’t playing just any guitar that night. In his hands was “Carl,” a custom-made Explorer built from wood salvaged from the garage where Metallica first honed their sound in El Cerrito, California. That very garage gave birth to “Master of Puppets,” “Ride the Lightning,” and many of the band’s earliest classics.

The rain hammered down, yet “Carl” kept roaring. Soaked to the bone, Hetfield didn’t flinch. The guitar, which holds immense historical and emotional value for the band, was made from the original beams of the garage at 3132 Carlson Boulevard—the place where Metallica’s sonic identity was born. Every chord that rang out seemed to echo with memory.

Onlookers were stunned not just by the show, but by the fact that Hetfield dared to bring out such a sacred instrument in the middle of a storm. The soaked pickups, the dripping strings, the glare of rain on its rustic wood—everything about it screamed “this is not your average performance.” And it wasn’t.

Fans online exploded with praise. Comments poured in saying, “That was metal as hell,” “This should go down in history,” and even jokes like, “Lightning strikes? That’s Cliff Burton sending a message.” The rawness of the moment wasn’t lost—it was amplified by the chaos.

Technically, it was a marvel too. “Carl” handled the storm beautifully thanks to its sealed electronics and battle-tested EMG pickups. It’s one thing to make a guitar from sentimental material—it’s another for it to survive a literal monsoon on stage and still sound perfect.

Lars Ulrich later reflected that they didn’t expect the weather to turn so dramatic, but once it did, there was no thought of stopping. The circular stage design and sheer energy of the crowd made it impossible to retreat. Metallica leaned into the moment—and owned it.

The setlist was already a juggernaut of classics, but the soaked, defiant performance of “Master of Puppets” instantly became the night’s defining memory. That combination of lightning, rain, and Hetfield’s soaked silhouette became one of the most shared images from the tour.

One TikTok video alone captured over 800,000 likes in days, showing Hetfield bathed in rain, snarling into the mic with “Carl” slung low. It wasn’t a gimmick—it was grit, it was legacy, it was metal distilled into one defiant moment.

Critics and fans alike called it one of the most unforgettable Metallica performances in recent memory. And it wasn’t just the music—it was the attitude. Nothing staged. No hiding from nature. Just four guys doing what they’ve always done—no matter the storm.

Audience members recounted the experience like a war story. “I was there,” one wrote. “It felt like something was happening that we’d tell our kids about. The band. The rain. That song. That guitar.” In a band full of legendary gigs, Munich carved out a place near the top.

And there was “Carl,” right at the center of it all. What was once part of a dusty California garage now stood tall in a stadium soaked in lightning and sweat, singing the same songs it helped give birth to four decades earlier.

That night, Hetfield didn’t just perform “Master of Puppets”—he summoned its ghost. And “Carl,” soaked and screaming under the Munich sky, carried the spirit of Metallica’s past into its roaring present. The result? A moment of pure, unforgettable rock mythology.

For those lucky enough to witness it, Metallica’s Munich storm show was more than a concert. It was a testament to survival, to legacy, and to a band that—after all these years—still knows how to turn chaos into legend.