Freeze 'Em All was a one-off concert by American heavy metal band Metallica played in Antarctica on December 8, 2013. It took place in a dome near the heliport of the Carlini Base in Argentine Antarctica, and was attended by 120 people, ranging from members of the base's research team and winners of a sweepstake offered by the Coca-Cola Company. The concert featured ten songs played over the span of an hour. As to prevent noise pollution, the show was played without any traditional amplification and was instead transmitted to the audience through headphones. The concert was the first one in Antarctica to be performed by a foreign band, and made Metallica the first band to perform on all seven continents. The concert was later released as a live album.
| One-off concert by Metallica | |
 | |
| Location | Carlini Base, Antarctica |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | December 8, 2013 |
| No. of shows | 1 |
| Attendance | 120~ |
| Metallica concert chronology | |
Background and production
edit
Freeze 'Em All took place at the Carlini Base in Argentine Antarctica on December 8, 2013.[1] The concert was first hinted at by Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich in September 2013, when we stated that "there [was] a very interesting thing coming our way" in December of that year, and that there was "another frontier coming."[2] The concert was officially announced on October 25, 2013, with the band stating that "we have been unbelievably fortunate to visit just about every corner of the Earth... except for one." The concert was done in collaboration with the Coca-Cola Company, which offered a sweepstake in six Latin American countries–specifically Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico–where ten winners would receive an eight-day cruise from Tierra del Fuego to Antarctica to watch the concert.[3]
Freeze 'Em All marked the first time a band had performed in Antarctica, excluding the short-lived Nunatak, an indie rock band created by researchers in 2007. Additionally, Fall Out Boy was scheduled to play on the continent in 2008, though the show was cancelled after poor weather conditions.[1][4]
Synopsis and attendance
editFreeze 'Em All was about one hour long, with the band performing ten songs inside of a small dome near the base's heliport. Examples of songs performed included "Enter Sandman" and "Master of Puppets", while some songs like "Trapped Under Ice" were chosen to be excluded. The concert was attended by 120 people, consisting only of researchers and contest winners. In accordance with the International Antarctic Protocol, the show was played without any traditional amplification, and was instead transmitted to the audience through headphones. This was done in an effort to preserve the local environment from noise pollution.[1]
Legacy
editMetallica considered the show to be a success, stating that it was the "most unique show" they had ever done, and that "words [could] not describe how happy everyone was".[5] With Freeze 'Em All, Metallica set a Guinness World Record as the first band to perform on all seven continents, as well as the only one to perform on all continents in only one year.[6]
Set list
editThe following lists the songs performed during Freeze 'Em All.[1] On December 20, 2013 Metallica released the concert as a live album on their website, with two additional tracks titled "Bass Solo" and "Kirk Solo".[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Coleman, Miriam (2013-12-09). "Metallica Play a Dome in Antarctica". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (2013-10-23). "Metallica set to go south – for Antarctica gig". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
- ^ Smith, Aaron (2013-10-25). "Metallica to rock Antarctica in Coke-sponsored show". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (2013-10-25). "Metallica to play Antarctica without amps". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
- ^ "Metallica Becomes First Band to Play All 7 Continents in a Year (Yes, Even Antarctica!)". yahoo.com. 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
- ^ Hudson, Alex (3 September 2014). "Metallica Set Guinness World Record for Playing All Seven Continents | Exclaim!". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (2013-12-20). "Metallica releases Antarctica concert as live album". Consequence. Retrieved 2023-06-29.