Memories Of Riots At The 1993 Concert: Metallica Datang, Jakarta Stabbing

Metallica's concert at Lebak Bulus Stadium, South Jakarta on 10-11 April 1993. (Doc. Hai Magazine)

JAKARTA - No one doubts the greatness of the metal band, Metallica. The popularity of the band fronted by James Hetfield (vocalists/guitar), Jason Newstead (bass), Kirk Hammet (guitar), and Lars Ulrich (drums) is second to none. Fans are piled up. In Indonesia, let alone.

The implementation of Metallica in Concerts at the Lebak Bulus Stadium, Jakarta 1993 is proof. The enthusiasm of Metallica fans peaked. However, not all of them got access to watch. The chaos outside the stadium was unstoppable. Jakarta is tense because of it.

1993 has a great history for fans of Indonesian metal music. Metallica included Indonesia's name in the list of countries visited on the November To Roam world tour. Metallica in Concerts is planned to attend the Lebak Bulus Stadium with a capacity of 12,500.

The celebration came two days, 10-11 April 1993. The Metallica concert agenda was greeted with enthusiasm. Anyone who wants to watch Metallica is required to redeem a concert ticket to occupy the north, east, west, or festival class. Ticket prices are priced from Rp. 30,000 to Rp. 150,000. The tickets were then sold from Jabodetabek, Bandung, and other big cities.

The first day of the Metallica concert arrived. The fans from various corners of the city began to crowd Jakarta from noon. In fact, Metallica only played at night. They point to one goal: Lebak Bulus Stadium.

Congestion around the stadium is inevitable. Moreover, the queue to enter the stadium is already snaking. The Indonesian thrash Metal Band Group, Rotor opened a concert from the stage measuring 21 x 13 meters.

They heated up the whole stadium for about 30 minutes. The ending we had been waiting for arrived. Metallica opened the concert with the songCReeping Death. Total Metallica performed about 19 mainstay songs. The four personnel also admitted that they were proud that many spectators memorized the song.

The four personnel from this Los Angeles band were able to dissolve the metal atmosphere that Indonesian metalists have been waiting for the most. Through Hetfield's heavy vocal color, their hit songs were launched, including the Sanatorium, Sad But True, Fade to Black, Master of Puppets, Seek and Destroy, Harvester of Narrow, Last Calless, Blackened, Wherever I May Roam, Battery, Bettered, and For Whom The Bell Tolls. "

In fact, there are those who memorize it all, James Hetfield let the audience sing on slow tempo songs, such as Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. Hetfield plays his role as a vocalist by asking the audience if they are tired and want to go home or still want to sing together. Both Hetfield and Jason and Hammet are good at provoking the emotions of the audience," explained Anas Syahrul Alimi and Muhidin M. Dahlan in the book100 Music Concerts in Indonesia (2018).

It could be that Metallica's first day at the Lebak Bulus Stadium went smoothly and in an orderly manner. However, not with conditions outside the stadium. Many of the visitors who did not have tickets tried to break in. The riots occurred.

Some tried to sneak in among the ticket-owned audience. There are also those who try to access in through other doors. The alertness of the security officers was able to thwart many spectators who did not have tickets.

The Commander of the Jaya Regional Military Command, Brigien AM Hendropriyono, speculated that the ticket price of Rp. 30 thousand was considered too expensive. Moreover, Metallica's majority among the lower middle class. Not the rich. Those who were driven didn't go straight home. They actually caused a riot.

Feelings of heartache were vented to the area around the Lebak Bulus Stadium. They carried out reckless actions. Kiosks on the side of the road were burned. Cars that happened to be stopped were damaged by the crowd. While the owner's valuables were taken by the masses. From watches to wallets.

The action spread to shops near Lebak Bulus. The crowd tried to carry out looting. All kinds of valuables in store windows were stolen by the masses. The chaos made Jakarta tense. All because security officers who came down from the police and military were only 2,500. Only on the second day the security officers were increased to 7,000.

The appointment of the hard music group Metallica from the United States almost made Jakarta totally widespread. When the group finished at the Lebak Bulus Stadium, South Jakarta, Saturday night last week rioted. A number of the masses became violent, set fire to the car they found on the road or in the parking lot, throwing shops or houses with stones. As a result: 7 cars and a kiosk were burned down, hundreds of other cars were damaged (at the Pondok Indah Plaza shop only, according to a security guard, 102 cars that were parked were damaged).

A number of people were held at gunpoint or robbed. Not enough, many luxury houses in the Pondok Indah complex not far from the Lebak Bulus Stadium, also became victims. The doorglass and window were broken with stones. Then the shopping center Pondok Indah Plaza was crushed, the glass was broken by young people who were like a riot. These clouds caused victims to fall: dozens of people were injured, 15 of them were seriously injured," said Ardian Taufik Gesuri, Andi Reza Rohadian, and his friends in Tempo Magazine entitled Amuk Kaum Metal in Lebak Bulus (1993).