Metallica Rocks ‘Freeze ‘Em All’ Show in Antarctica

A crowd of 120 scientists and contest winners took in the hour-long show in a protective dome. The concert that began as an internet rumor finally came to reality yesterday, as Metallica became the first major music act to perform in Antarctica.

The long-running metal band performed an hour-long set inside a dome close to the heliport of Carlini Scientific Base. In the dome with them was a 120-person crowd containing winners from a South American sweepstakes sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero and a handful of scientists from various nations.

The show — dubbed “Freeze ‘Em All” by the band — took place inside a dome to protect the crowd from snowfall and harsh winds. Despite the conditions, the show was completed without any problems.

To respect the icy continent’s fragile environment, the concert was held without traditional amplification, in accord with international Antarctic protocol. Amplifiers were enclosed in isolation cabinets, with the sound transmitted to the audience via headphones, much like the “silent discos” sometimes found at music festivals.

By playing the non-traditional gig, Metallica becomes the first act to play on all of the Earth’s seven continents.

On a much smaller scale, the United States’ McMurdo Station has been hosting open mic nights in Antarctica for some time, and in 2007, a five-piece band of British scientists called Nunatak claimed to have played the continent’s first rock concert.

In 2006, Fall Out Boy planned to play an Antarctic gig, but had to cancel due to (unsurprisingly) uncooperative weather.

Here’s the set list from Metallica’s Dec. 8 show in Antarctica:

Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Sad but True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Master of Puppets
One
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Seek & Destroy

Source: Billboard