Metallica played a banned song during their Sunday night show in Cardiff, Wales, and the crowd sang right along with them.
During their June 28 concert at Principality Stadium, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett performed Tom Jones' 1968 hit "Delilah" as part of their nightly tribute segment, according to a report by Billboard. The Welsh Rugby Union banned the song from being performed by choirs at the stadium in 2023 because of its lyrics, which are written from the perspective of a man who kills his wife after seeing her with another man.
The WRU made its position clear when it announced the ban three years ago. "We condemn domestic violence of any kind," the organization said, adding that they had "previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song" and were "respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter."
Tom Jones himself pushed back on the ban during a show at Cardiff Castle in July 2023. "You can't stop us singing 'Delilah,'" Jones told the audience. "They may stop the choir from singing it, but they haven't stopped the crowd. Keep on singing it — and I'll keep on singing it too."
Trujillo took the lead vocal at the Metallica show, and the Cardiff crowd joined in on the chorus, singing the words: "Why, why, why, Delilah?/ So before they come to break down the door/ Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn't take any more."
The Cardiff concert was Metallica's first show in Wales in three decades. The band's nightly tribute segment, called the Doodle, has featured local acts throughout the M72 world tour. Previous performances have included covers of Rammstein in Berlin, ABBA in Sweden, A-ha in Norway, the Pogues in Dublin, and the Proclaimers in Glasgow.
After the show, Metallica donated more than $26,000 to the Cardiff Foodbank through their All Within My Hands foundation. The food bank posted about the donation on Instagram, writing that the money would help replenish their warehouse and support around 1,000 people with the equivalent of 9,000 meals.
Metallica heads next to London Stadium for shows on July 3 and July 5 before taking the rest of the summer off. The band is scheduled to begin a 24-date Life Burns Faster Sphere residency in Las Vegas on October 1.
