Metallica... Here I Go Again

So after searching through the memory banks, ticket stubs and this here Internets, I've decided that I've seen Metallica only 4 times, despite that it seems like many more. I guess I took a pretty long break after seeing them the first time:

May 4th, 1986
Memphis Tennessee @ Mid South Coliseum
Damage Inc Tour with Ozzy Osbourne

They opened the show and frankly, without videos or radio play, all I'd seen of them by that point was some stories in Hit Parader and Circus magazine. I was going to see Ozzy (just after Randy's death by the way) and they came out and blew me away though and I began buying their CDs (albums). But then for whatever reason I didn't see them again until this show:

Aug 3rd, 2003
Irving Texas @ Texas Stadium
Summer Sanitarium Tour with Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, deftones and Mudvayne

It was a massive outdoor, stadium show and it was hot as all hell. It was also an insane day of music to say the least. Not too long after that I caught them (from the floor right in front of the stage) in my city with another band I really like:

May 15th, 2004
Little Rock Arkansas @ Alltel Arena
Madly In Anger Tour with Godsmack

Here's the set list from that night:

Blackened
Fuel
Harvester Of Sorrow
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Frantic
Holier Than Thou
No Leaf Clover
St. Anger
Sad But True
Creeping Death
Battery
I Disappear
Nothing Else Matters
Master Of Puppets
One
Enter Sandman
The Wait
The Four Horsemen

We got the rare playing of "No Leaf Clover" and 2 songs from St. Anger from that set list. I actually had a backstage pass to that show, but only 1, and I had floor tickets and was taking a girl so I didn't go backstage. Had an awesome time though. Then came this show last year:

Nov 22nd, 2008
Little Rock Arkansas @ Alltel Arena
World Magnetic Tour with Down and The Sword

And they played this set list:

That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Creeping Death
Ride The Lightning
One
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Wherever I May Roam
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Die Die My Darling
Whiplash
Seek and Destroy

Another great show with a lot of older stuff, nothing from St. Anger and 5 songs from the newest CD, Death Magnetic.

So that brings us to this year. I've got show tickets (sold out already) and a plane ticket for this baby:

December 5th, 2009
Las Vegas Nevada @ Mandalay Bay
with Machine Head

Sadly, I've got to wait 5 months now, but I'll start getting geeked for it in a few months when the footballs start flying. I mean seriously, freakin' Metallica on a Saturday night on the Vegas strip? The Day That Never Comes indeed.