“The sight of Cliff wading into the insane mass of scrapping people with a hammer was legendary.” Cliff Burton’s hammer, an angry schoolgirl, and the 1984 Metallica show that turned into a mass brawl
Metallica’s first Finnish concert, held near Lieto on 14 December 1984, descended into a mass brawl after a crew member struck a schoolgirl who had punched him when startled by his theatrical entrance. The incident escalated as other concertgoers sought to defend her, involving the audience, band and road crew.
According to recollections from the band’s crew, bassist Cliff Burton ended the fight by retrieving his trademark hammer and advancing through the crowd, ordering people to back away. Around 150 people attended the show, and once order was restored Metallica performed and continued its tour to Nivala and Helsinki.
- A misunderstanding involving a schoolgirl sparked the brawl.
- Band, crew and audience members became involved.
- Cliff Burton ended it by brandishing his hammer.