Metallica have covered Tom Jones’ ‘Delilah’ at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, despite the song being banned from the venue.
The metal icons played the Welsh capital last night (June 28) as part of the final UK run of their ongoing ‘M72’ world tour, and used their mid-set ‘Kirk and Rob Doodle’ section to nod to one of Wales’ most famous sons.
Their choice of cover is somewhat loaded, however, as in 2023, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) banned the 1968 hit from being performed by choirs in the stadium at Wales internationals due to its references to domestic violence.
The song’s lyrics, by Barry Mason, were written from the perspective of a man who kills his partner after seeing her with another man.
The WRU said three years ago that they “condemn domestic violence of any kind”, adding: “We have previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song and we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter.”
Watch footage of Metallica’s rendition here:
Jones later hit back at the decision to band the song during a show at Cardiff Castle in July 2023, telling the crowd: “You can’t stop us singing ‘Delilah’.”
“They may stop the choir from singing it, but they haven’t stopped the crowd,” he added. “Keep on singing it – and I’ll keep on singing it too.”
The ‘Kirk and Rob Doodle’ has become a regular part of Metallica’s live shows in recent years, giving Hammett and Trujillo a mid-set slot to play loose bass-and-guitar jams, often paying tribute to local musical heroes. In the past, they have played Rammstein’s ‘Sonne’ in Berlin, ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ in Sweden and a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ in Norway.
Earlier this month, they covered The Pogues’ ‘Dirty Old Town’ during their second show in Dublin, before taking on The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ and Nazareth’s ‘Hair Of The Dog’ in Glasgow.
The band’s UK run will continue with two nights at London Stadium on July 3 and 5. The first night will feature support from Gojira and Knocked Loose, while the second will feature Pantera and Avatar. Find any remaining tickets here.
The band recently released ‘Reload (Remastered)’, an expanded reissue of their 1997 album featuring previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, live performances and more.
Kirk Hammett also recently made headlines after falling from the stage during ‘Seek & Destroy’ in Dublin. He later joked about the moment on Instagram, captioning a clip: “Slip & Destroy.”
The incident came shortly after Hammett drew criticism from Taylor Swift fans for wearing a T-shirt reading “Taylor Swift Is A CIA Psyop” during Metallica’s June 13 show in Budapest.
In a four-star review of Metallica’s ‘M72’ tour opener in Amsterdam, NME wrote: “Metallica have always been a gateway band for heavy music, but there’s a renewed excitement around them now. Tonight’s surprising, ambitious and giddy gig matches that energy at every turn.”
“From the gorgeous ‘Nothing Else Matters’ through to the unifying ‘Seek & Destroy’, the majesty of heavy music is on full display throughout the gig as Metallica prove why they’re clearly still the greatest metal band around.”