Inside the Snake Pit: The Creative Team Behind Metallica's Tour Designs

In support of their newest album, 72 Seasons, Metallica has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows on the M72 Tour. Performing on a truly massive ring shaped stage — with the band's legendary Snake Pit in the center — the group is redefining the meaning of playing stadiums in the round. For the elegant circular design — complete with surrounding immense production towers — longtime Metallica Creative Director / Production Designer Dan Braun, lighting designer Rob Koenig and video director/designer Gene McAuliffe have gone big while paradoxically creating an intimate stadium environment that perfectly showcases the iconic hard rockers. This ProProduction session at NAMM is the opportunity to ask the team about the design touchstones that are core to a Metallica show, as well as learn about the evolution of the Snake Pit over the years.