Heavy metal militia invaded the streets of Sydney on Friday morning when a mob of Metallica fans formed a queue that stretched almost half a kilometre outside a pop-up store in Paddington.
With limited edition screen prints, posters and shirts up for grabs ahead of what could be the bands last ever show in Australia – Saturday night’s sold out gig at Accor Stadium – almost 500 fans were standing in a line that began at the store front on Oxford Street and ended almost a full block away.
First in line Greg Shield’s spent over 13 hours waiting for the doors to open.
“I got here at 5pm on Thursday,” Shields said. “I was first in line and the queue began about an hour later at 6pm. And it just kept on growing.”
Describing himself as a lifelong fan, Mr Shields had set himself a budget of $1000 to spend inside the store, which will be a Metallica pop up shop for just three days.
“I’m after quite a few things,” Mr Shields said. “I think I will get a skateboard and a couple of T-shirts to start with.”
On the final stop of there sold out Australia tour, Metallica will play Sydney for the first time since 2013.
“I’ve seen them every time they’ve come out,” Mr Shields said.
“I was in the Snake Pit at the Hordon for the 1993 Black Album, I was at Big Day Out (2004), Soundwave (2013), and Death Magnetic (2010).”
So was the wait worth it?
“Hell yeah”, Shields said. “It’s Metallica.”
The fans certainly were not queuing for a discount with T-shirt’s selling for $65 a pop and keying going for as much as $50.
– Additional reporting Harley Phelps
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