Metallica Command Canadians at Air Canada Centre

Canadians are a laid-back, conservative bunch, eh? Not the fierce lot who congregated at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last night for the first of two sold-out Metallica concerts. Congregate is the right word. It was like a religious experience for those die-hards, and it seemed everyone was -- right to the nosebleed sections where fists were raised.

The rectangular stage set up, looking like a hockey rink inside another the hockey rink, ensured there really was no crap seat in the house. Even in the upper sections, people had a perspective on the laser show like no one else in the arena, kinda like flying above the clouds in an airplane.

It was better than a traditional 'in the round' style rig, because it's is so large and unencumbered by risers and ramps. The mic stands at every side ensured that singer-guitarist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo had the opportunity to play to the whole arena. Drummer Lars Ulrich was on a revolving mat of sorts and sometimes jumped off his stool to engage the crowd.

On the small portions of the floor that weren't taken up by Metallica's stage, a mosh pit began at one end, where boys rammed and ran into each other, all in the spirit of fun. The other three sides, a crushed phalanx of testosterone stood mesmerized, singing along at Hetfield's command and punching the air, as the band delivered a two-hour set comprising 18 songs, including 'Fight Fire With Fire,' 'Sad But True,' 'Master of Puppets,' 'Broken, Beat & Scarred,' 'One' and 'Enter Sandman.'

"It's about time we meet again," said Hetfield, before 'The End of the Line,' sounding like a commander from a sci-fi thriller. "We're here to make you feel better, and whether you know it or not, you're here to make us feel better." There were many lines like these, but they didn't sound hokey coming from him, said more with reverence towards Metallica fans than stroking their own egos.

He took a poll of the crowd to see who had never seen a Metallica show before. There were quite a lot of newbies, but as he put it, "That's what matters -- right now. You can buy the T-shirt; you can buy the CD; you can buy whatever it is that says Metallica on it, but you come to the show and make great things happen together."

And together, the band made sure that no one was left out. The stage has the fan in mind, so well designed that everyone got a perfect view and perfect amount of attention.