Alright, so lemme tell ya ’bout this one time, right? Metallica was playing at Sports Authority Field – now, it’s called Empower Field at Mile High, but back then it was Sports Authority Field. Anyway, huge freakin’ deal, and I decided I was gonna document the whole thing. Not professionally, mind you, just for kicks and giggles, and maybe to show off to my buddies later.
The Prep
- First things first, I charged up my phone. Gotta have a full battery, you know? Can’t be missin’ out on capturing Kirk Hammett shreddin’ because your phone’s dead.
- Next, I grabbed my old digital camera. It’s nothin’ fancy, just a point-and-shoot, but it takes decent pictures. Plus, I didn’t wanna risk droppin’ my phone in the mosh pit.
- Packed a couple of extra batteries for the camera, just in case. Always gotta be prepared!
- Made sure I had enough space on both my phone and the camera’s memory card. Cleared out all the old junk photos and videos.
Getting There and Settling In
Got to the stadium early. Like, way early. Wanted to avoid the crowds and get a decent parking spot. Plus, I wanted to soak in the atmosphere, ya know? Tailgated a bit, grilled some burgers, had a few beers with the crew. Good times.
Capturing the Chaos
- Took a bunch of pictures and videos of the crowd. People were pumped! Lots of Metallica shirts, some face paint, the whole shebang.
- Got some shots of the opening acts. Can’t remember who they were, to be honest, but I filmed a few songs anyway.
- Once Metallica hit the stage, it was game on! I was tryin’ to film and take pictures, all while headbangin’ and singin’ along. It was a challenge, lemme tell ya.
- Tried to get some close-ups of the band members, but it was tough with the distance and the crowd. Managed to snag a few decent ones of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.
- Recorded snippets of my favorite songs – “Enter Sandman,” “Master of Puppets,” “Seek and Destroy.” The classics!
The Aftermath
Sorting Through the Wreckage
After the show, I was exhausted. Ears were ringin’, voice was hoarse, but it was totally worth it. Got home and started sorting through all the pictures and videos I took. There were a lot of blurry ones, some that were completely out of focus, and a few that were just plain terrible. But there were also some gems in there.
- Deleted all the really bad ones. No point in keepin’ those.
- Edited the good ones a little bit. Cropped ’em, adjusted the brightness and contrast, that kinda thing.
- Uploaded some of the best pictures and videos to social media. Got a bunch of likes and comments from my friends.
- Made a little slideshow video with some of the footage and set it to Metallica music. Shared that with the crew I went with.
The Lessons Learned
So, what did I learn from this whole experience? Well, a few things:
- Bring a better camera next time. My phone and the old point-and-shoot just didn’t cut it for capturing the full awesomeness of the show.
- Maybe invest in a small tripod or monopod to get steadier shots. My hands were shakin’ too much from all the headbangin’.
- Don’t try to do too much at once. It’s hard to film, take pictures, and rock out all at the same time. Focus on one thing at a time.
- Most importantly, just have fun! It’s a Metallica concert, after all. Don’t get too caught up in tryin’ to document everything perfectly. Just enjoy the moment.
Anyway, that’s my Metallica at Sports Authority Field story. Hope you enjoyed it!
