Metallica Announces Dates Downunder

Melbourne-based Michael Coppel Presents April 28 announced six dates April 28.

The shows begin at Auckland’s Vector Arena Oct. 13. Then the band will play the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (Oct. 18), Perth’s Burswood Dome (Oct. 22), Sydney’s ACER Arena (Nov. 10), the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Nov. 15) and Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena (Nov. 18).

These are Metallica’s first shows in the region since playing Big Day Out’s seven shows in January 2004.

Already New Zealand fans are complaining in blogs that the band is playing only one New Zealand show.

After band members announced they were heading downunder later in the year during a South American press conference, a Facebook page was set up to urge Metallica not to bypass the city of Wellington. The group has more than 5,000 members.

During the last decade alone, Metallica has played to a collective audience of more than 3.5 million people.