CARACAS, Venezuela (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Heavy security was in effect as Metallica closed out their south American leg of the "Death Magnetic" tour with a March 12th performance in front 50,000 fans at the La Rinconada baseball stadium in Caracas. The concert marked the first return to Venezuela for the band in more than a decade.
Earlier south American concerts by the heavy metal rockers had been marred by violence. According to the Associated Press, 170 people rioted in Bogota, Columbia on Wednesday for charges of rioting and vandalism after hundreds of fans arrived without tickets and tried to get into the Simón Bolívar Park, where the concert was held. Police reportedly deployed tanks and more than 1500 officers to quell the disturbance and the violence left at least 8 people injured.
In January, 120 people were arrested during a riot at a concert by the band held in Santiago, Chile that police dispersed with water cannons, WENN reported.
Metallica will next heading for Europe for the next leg of their "Death Magnetic" tour, starting on April 13th at the Telenor Arena in Oslo. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
