The infamous heavy metal band Metallica paid tribute to both The Pogues and The Proclaimers this past week at the Dublin shows of their ongoing M72 World Tour. Last Sunday (June 21st), guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo played a rendition of Ewan MacColl’s “Dirty Old Town.” While written by MacColl, the song is heavily associated with Irish music, with versions by bands such as The Pogues, according to NME. This past Thursday (June 25th), the pair covered The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

Both of these songs were played during a recurring section of Metallica’s live shows called the “Kirk and Bob Doodle.” It’s a mid-set slot for Hammett and Trujillo to play some guitar and bass tracks. The pair interacts heavily with the crowd, such as during their cover of “Dirty Old Town,” they tell the audience, “We’ve chosen this song. And I believe we’ve jammed it with you guys before, but this time you’re going to sing as loud as you can. We’re gonna have a good time.” In both performances, fans are reactive, cheering and singing along with them.

​The band is currently finishing out the European leg of their M72 World Tour with three more shows left – one in Cardiff and the last two in London – coming to a close on July 3rd. They also released ReLoad (Remastered) yesterday, an expanded reissue of their seventh studio album, originally released in 1997, featuring demos, live versions, and more.