By The Riff Report – 6 November 2025

🎤 “Do You Belong, Are You Sure You Belong?”

Metallica stormed into Perth’s Optus Stadium for their first Australian gig in over 12 years — a roaring return that left 60,000 fans headbanging, screaming, and, in two particular cases, breaking the law.

Because apparently, for a couple of die-hard metalheads, standing on the ground wasn’t metal enough. Nope — they decided to scale a lighting tower mid-show, turning Metallica’s long-awaited Aussie comeback into a scene straight out of Jackass: Stadium Edition.

⚡ “Climb the Lightning”?

According to reports from Blabbermouth and Sonic Perspectives, two men — aged 20 and 23, from Carey Park and Australind — climbed a central tower during the show’s production setup while Metallica ripped through their M72 World Tour setlist.

Venue staff noticed, police were called, and after some persuasion (and, we imagine, one hell of a buzzkill), the pair climbed down. Both were promptly arrested, charged with trespassing, and are now due in court.

No one was injured, but security and fans nearby were reportedly “absolutely losing it” watching two blokes dangling in the rafters while James Hetfield barked “Obey your master!” below. 😅

🏟️ The Show: 12 Years in the Making

The Perth concert marked Metallica’s first Aussie performance since 2013, kicking off a short run of shows as part of their “M72 World Tour”, celebrating the 2023 album 72 Seasons.

Unlike the “No Repeat Weekend” format seen elsewhere, Australian fans got a one-night-only rager, packed with the big guns — Creeping Death, Sad But True, Fuel, and of course, Master of Puppets, which probably served as the unintentional soundtrack to the tower-climbers’ ascent.

Let’s be honest — that riff does make you feel invincible.

🤦‍♂️ “Mate… Just Enjoy the Show!”

There’s fan dedication, and then there’s climbing-a-bloody-stadium-tower-mid-gig dedication. It’s a fine line, and these lads absolutely tripped over it in their Doc Martens.

For context, these weren’t audience towers or production catwalks. This was part of the stadium’s internal infrastructure — meaning they weren’t just risking their necks, but also putting the crew and crowd in danger.

Officials labelled it a “serious safety breach,” though thankfully the band never had to stop playing. Metallica’s crew handled it like pros — no delay, no drama, just good old-fashioned riff therapy while the cops did their thing.

Still, imagine trying to explain that arrest:

“What were you doing, mate?”
“Uh… just trying to get a better view of Lars.”

🎸 Metallica: Back, Louder, and Still Chaos Magnets

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 40+ years of Metallica mania, it’s that madness follows them wherever they go.

From pyro accidents and stage storms to climbing fans and flying beer cups — the band’s gigs are like the Olympics of mayhem. But this one stands out: two blokes treating Optus Stadium like a climbing wall during Enter Sandman? That’s next-level.

As Hetfield himself once said, “Metallica gives you heavy, baby.”
Apparently, it also gives you handcuffs, if you’re not careful.

🔥 The Aussie Metal Spirit

To be fair, there’s something gloriously unhinged about Aussie metal crowds. They’ve waited over a decade for Metallica to return — and when they finally did, the energy was off the charts.

Beer flying, horns raised, people shouting “YEEAAAHHH!” louder than the amps — classic Down Under chaos. And while most fans stuck to the floor, a couple decided to aim for the heavens.

“Only in Australia, mun,” as we’d say back home. 🏴

⚖️ The Fallout

The climbers are facing trespass charges and potential fines. Authorities are reviewing footage, and venues are already re-evaluating security around production rigs.

No official word yet from Metallica’s camp, but given how tight their production is, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Perth show made it into the “weird tour moments” hall of fame.

Let’s just hope no one tries to one-up it in Melbourne.

🧠 Riff Report Verdict

🎸 Epic Gig: ✅
🤘 Fans too excited: Also ✅
🚔 Boys in blue called in: Triple ✅

Look — we love enthusiasm. But let’s keep our climbing to the charts, not the scaffolding.

The Perth crowd got a gig for the ages, Metallica proved they’re still the kings of stadium metal, and those two lads? Well, they’ve got a story that’ll follow them longer than The Unforgiven trilogy.

So next time you’re at a show and you feel that inner mosh goblin whisper “climb higher”… just remember — you can’t headbang from jail, butt. 😂

The Riff Report Verdict:
🔥 Score: 10/10 Gig Energy
⚡ Minus: 2 points for gravity abuse
🥁 Final Verdict: “Climb the Riffs, Not the Towers”