Metallica Opens and Closes Woodstock ’94 With Cover Songs

When Metallica graced the stage on the Saturday night of Woodstock ’94, they chose to open and close their 15-song set with cover songs, an intriguing artistic decision given their soaring popularity at the time.

The band’s previous release in 1991, the self-titled album widely known as “The Black Album,” had cemented their place in rock history. Despite being three years removed from that album, their performance at Woodstock was nothing short of spectacular, filled with classic hits.

Positioned between Nine Inch Nails, known for their legendary mud-laden set, and rock icons Aerosmith, Metallica delivered a memorable concert that was fully composed of timeless tracks.

The setlist favored “The Black Album” with four songs and “Ride the Lightning” from 1984 with three tracks. Interestingly, only an abbreviated version of the title track from “Master of Puppets” made it to the setlist.

What stood out the most was the choice to frame the set with covers, emphasizing their boldness during this peak in their career.

They kicked off with Budgie’s “Breadfan,” a song that had appeared as a B-side to singles “Harvester of Sorrow” and “Eye of the Beholder,” and was later featured on the 1998 covers compilation, “Garage Inc.”

To close the night, Metallica selected what might be considered the least Woodstock-appropriate song, bringing the house down with Anti-Nowhere League’s explicit classic “So What.”

Videos of both cover songs performed at Woodstock ’94 can be viewed below, along with Metallica’s complete setlist from that unforgettable night.

Metallica, “Breadfan” (Budgie Cover at Woodstock ’94)

Metallica, “So What” (Anti-Nowhere League Cover at Woodstock ’94)

Metallica Interviewed at Woodstock ’94

In an MTV interview with Riki Rachtman at Woodstock ’94, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield shared insights into the band’s mindset at the time.

Despite the iconic status of Woodstock, the members of Metallica appeared nonchalant about the event’s significance. Hetfield humorously referred to it as “just another crappy gig,” illustrating their comfort with large-scale shows.

“We just got here, we don’t really know anything about what’s going on,” Ulrich told Rachtman before Metallica took the stage. Hetfield, downplaying the event’s grandeur, added, “We don’t even know who is playing,” when asked about the other performers at Woodstock.

Metallica Setlist — Woodstock ’94 (Aug. 13, 1994)

01. “Breadfan” (Budgie cover)
02. “Master of Puppets” (short version)
03. “Wherever I May Roam”
04. “Harvester of Sorrow”
05. “Fade to Black”
06. “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
07. “Seek & Destroy” (includes “The Outlaw Torn” jam)
08. Guitar Solo
09. “Nothing Else Matters”
10. “Creeping Death”
11. “Whiplash”
12. “Sad but True” (preceded by “A National Acrobat” jam)
13. “One”
14. “Enter Sandman”
15. “So What” (Anti-Nowhere League cover)

via setlist.fm