Metallica concert Tour 2008 www.tixx.com

Metallica play club show, eye fall tour

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Metallica tickets will launch a tour in October, a month after the rock titans release their first album in five years, drummer Lars Ulrich revealed during a rare club show in Los Angeles Wednesday.

The charity show saw the veteran quartet shred through such hits as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Fuel," "Master of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman" during a nearly two-hour stand at the 2,300-capacity Wiltern theater.

The group didn't unveil any new material. Nevertheless, "it feels good to play live again," said singer-guitarist James Hetfield.

The concert was pulled together on short notice to help raise funds for the nonprofit Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The organization was co-founded by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who joined Metallica onstage for "Fight Fire With Fire," from the band's 1984 album "Ride the Lightning."

Money raised from the concert will go toward the Silverlake Conservatory of Music's programs and operations, along with scholarships for low-income students who can't afford instruments and music lessons.

Metallica's as-yet-untitled album, the follow-up to the 2003 disappointment "St. Anger," is scheduled for release in September. Ulrich said earlier on Wednesday that Metallica is "a couple of nips and tucks" away from completing the album.

Upcoming gigs include a Saturday stop at Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM's annual Weenie Roast festival and a June 13 stand at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

Reuters/Billboard