The four members of METALLICA took part in a 30-minute press conference prior to the band's January 21, 2010 concert at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. Watch it in two parts below.

When asked about the significance of METALLICA's upcoming "Big Four" shows in Europe with SLAYER, MEGADETH and SLAYER, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield responded, "I think after recording [METALLICA's 2008 album] 'Death Magnetic' and seeing the great response of us feeling like we're really strong and together again as a band, and then the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, a lot of history kind of caught up to us. Embracing our past, with writing this kind of music again, and inviting all of our friends to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and having this sense of nostalgia and being OK with that, a lot of it brought up the importance — at least for myself — and conveying it that the [San Francisco] Bay Area was pretty important for us and some of the thrash music of the 1980s was a big movement. And also celebrating the other bands who have survived that long; it's not easy — a band like MEGADETH, a band like METALLICA, a band like SLAYER and ANTHRAX, who are still going. And why don't we get together and celebrate the fact that we've been together for almost 30 years. And we were trying to do that a little earlier, but [it wasn't] just 'till now [that] everyone was available and willing to do that.

METALLICA's setlist for the Buenos Aires concert was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. Harvester Of Sorrow
05. Fade To Black
06. That Was Just Your Life
07. The End Of The Line
08. Sad But True
09. Cyanide
10. All Nightmare Long
11. One
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Last Caress
17. Whiplash
18. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA's first-ever concert appearance in Peru set an attendance record as the biggest music event in Peruvian history, with 55,000 fans showing up to see the band play on Tuesday night (January 19) at a stadium in Lima. At a press conference several hours before the concert, Hetfield told reporters that the band was grateful for the response. "It's unbelievable," he said. "It's amazing, and we're very grateful that it's still happening. You know, METALLICA's been together for 29 years or more, and it's really great to know that there are still places that we haven't played, like in Lima — it's our first time here."

METALLICA's Peruvian gig grossed approximately $3.7 million in U.S. dollars.

The country's two biggest previous concerts in 2009 were the JONAS BROTHERS, who drew a total of 55,000 over two nights, and OASIS, who drew 41,000 fans.

DEPECHE MODE and THE KILLERS also performed there for 30,000 people.

METALLICA's show was the first of a South American tour that will bring the band to Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and several other countries. After that, the quartet will head to Europe for dates throughout the spring and summer.

Press Conference Part 1:



Press Conference Part 2: