July 7, 2007 19:37

Metallica begin their Wembley weekend at Live Earth

James Hetfield tells fans to 'think for themsleves'

Metallica have just finished the first of two performances this weekend at Wembley Stadium, as part of Live Earth this evening (July 7).

The metal messiahs will play their own headline show at the venue tomorrow night (8) as part of their 'Sick Of The Studio Tour', but they still took the time to take part in the UK leg of Al Gore's climate change benefit.

Maximising impact, the band arrived onstage without a celebrity introduction, choosing to take the stage some ten minutes after comic and host Russell Brand had finished his monologue.

Metallica then tore through some of their biggest hits in a furious, albeit brief, set.

Onstage banter was kept to a minimum, with frontman James Hetfield simply asking the crowd “are you alive?" repeatedly during ‘Enter Sandman’, and closing the set with a declaration, “think for yourselves, my friends!”.

Metallica played:

'Sad But True'
'Nothing Else Matters'
'Enter Sandman'

Live Earth continues in London with the legendary comic group Spinal Tap on next, and performances coming from Beastie Boys and Foo Fighters among others.

Stay tuned to NME.COM for reports live from Wembley Stadium all day.