Metallica World Tour Reaches End Of The Line

After two years and more than 200 shows Metallica have announced the last shows on their epic World Magnetic Tour.

The band announced on their official website that the tour would draw to a close in Melbourne on 21 November. In a statement they said:

"Dear Friends:

"We are so psyched to add a second show in Christchurch, New Zealand at CBS Canterbury Arena on September 21...thanks again for demanding that we visit you there!!

"Now to the real reason we're here taking up space on this site...we also want to announce that all of our play dates have now filled up with the addition of this show...that's right boys and girls, this will be the last date added to the World Magnetic Tour! So if you're waiting for us to come to the Polar Ice Caps, your undiscovered planet or even your basement, sorry, this is as good at it gets.

"It has been a very long, and most amazing run. The number of shows played depends on when you start counting. We are gonna go with what the boys in the band say, 'cuz they have been out on the road more or less continuously since May of 2008 and that brings us up to a total of 212 shows in 153 cities. Each and every one of them has been memorable and special and we thank you for that. This is where we could spew a bunch of crazy numbers at you...you know the 2.3 million tickets sold, 300 million miles traveled, 3,000 pounds of bacon consumed "shtick," but you don't care about that stuff and frankly neither do we. What we DO care about is letting you know the immense gratitude we feel for all of your love and support over these past two and half years. When we embarked on this "magnetic" journey, none of us ever, in our wildest dreams, imagined how truly incredible it would be and it's all because of hanging out with YOU!

"It's obviously not over just yet, so let's not get too sappy here...we're off to Australia, New Zealand and Japan in the Fall for what promises to be some of the loudest, craziest, most rocking shows!"

The band’s manager announced in March that Metallica were planning some big shows which would be their "equivalent of The Wall” in 2011.

But with no more information forthcoming on those plans and the band revealing that there would be no new album anytime soon, we may not be seeing much more of Metallica for a little while