According to DutchNews.nl, METALLICA's performance at the Dutch festival Pinkpop came close to being canceled last night (Monday, June 9) when a heavy thunderstorm passed over its location in in Landgraaf, Limburg, about 90 kilometers west of Cologne, Germany. Just as the rain began to fall, presenter Eric Corton took to the main stage to ask the roughly 60,000 people who attended the event to stay away from all poles, stages and tents. Pinkpop organizer Jan Smeets decided to go ahead with the rest of the three-day event earlier on Monday despite the fact that weather bureau KNMI issued an orange code warning. Meteorologist and television presenter Margot Ribberink told a TV news show that Smeets was taking a big risk by not canceling METALLICA's concert. In addition, newspapers around the country published editorials questioning the promoter's decision to continue with the festival. According to NLTimes.nl, Landgraaf mayor Raymond Vlecken countered the arguments on Limburg radio station L1 saying they were prepared to evacuate the festival, choosing instead to instruct the audience to stay low to the ground. He said he was proud that, despite increasingly loud thunderclaps, there was no sense of panic in the crowd. After the downpour, emergency foil blankets were handed out to the crowd and METALLICA took to the main stage and played its full 18-song set. Photo credit: Metallica.com
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