Calling all music fans! Step onto the stage and get ready to rock this big band build, Metallica M72 World Tour by MetalliBrick! If you're a Metallica or MetalliBrick fan, be sure to congratulate x in the comments down below for reaching 10,000 supporters on this project!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
MetalliBrick
- Where are you from?
I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I work in Finance.
- What hobbies do you have?
Outside of LEGO and Metallica, I’m a dog lover, avid gardener, and reader.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
All my Metallica creations, including things not posted to LEGO Ideas, have been posted on my Instagram, @MetalBrick. I have other social media accounts as well, but I am most active on Instagram.
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
I’m most proud of Doris, or Lady Justice to those outside of the Metallica Family. She’s a compact minimalist version of the Doris we all know and love. Making her in LEGO her was fun, and I think she turned out super cute!
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
I remember having LEGO as a child, but I struggled to build anything. I never thought of myself as creative, and I think that’s because I was, from a very young age, a perfectionist. And perfectionism is often at odds with creativity. I’ve always said I was big on ideas, but needed someone else to make them happen. In my mid-40s I came to the realization that needing things to be perfect takes the fun and joy out of it, and I started to question why I didn’t think of myself as creative. Once I began questioning this, I found myself more open to trying to do things that I would have otherwise dismissed.
In 2019, when the LEGO Ideas Friends Central Perk set became available, I readily purchased that as my husband and I were big fans of the show, and my husband is an AFOL. So, I bought it as something we could do together.
- What does the LEGO hobby mean to you? How does it fit into your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
My LEGO hobby unknowingly started with the purchase of the Central Perk set. We had such a great time putting it together over Thanksgiving weekend here in the States that we bought another set to work on at Christmas. Again, it was so much fun that we bought another set… Then the global pandemic hit.
LEGO became a great activity that we could do, alone or together, to pass the time while isolating. What I really liked about it then, and continue to love about it now, is that it’s a way to stay off my phone, computer, and other devices. It’s like a puzzle, but better because you can modify it and make it into whatever you want. It’s very relaxing while also making you think.
For years, maybe even decades, we’ve joked that LEGO should make a Metallica set. We’ve said it every time a new Metallica figure has been released by different brands over the last 20+ years. While putting together Assembly Square in December of 2021, I had the bag for the music store. Once done, I looked at the drum kit and said I could make a better one. We both laughed and continued on with our build. I had never made anything other than a LEGO purchased set at that point, but I guess that declaration got me thinking. Shortly after New Years, as we were talking about 2022 and the prospect of another year spent isolating, I decided to be the person who finally makes a Metallica set out of LEGO. And just like that, MetalliBrick was born!
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
I’m torn between LEGO Ideas and the modular building sets. After all, it was a LEGO Ideas set that got me hooked! The modular buildings are what my husband and I do together, so that’s special to me too.
I recently put together the Starry Night set, also from LEGO Ideas and was blown away, not only by how fun and creative it was, but how beautiful the completed set is. The pictures really don’t do it justice!
As for inspiration, the variety of sets that have been made via the LEGO Ideas line, as well as submissions to LEGO Ideas, are very inspiring for me. There truly is something for everyone, and getting involved on the LEGO Ideas platform and getting to know other designers via their Instagram accounts has resulted in some great friendships that I would have never guessed would come from such a solitary, at-home hobby.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
It opened up a world of possibilities for me, so I have to say it’s the Ideas Friends Central Perk set. An honorable mention would be the Bonsai. I have it out year-round and regularly change it to match the season with pieces I purchased on Bricklink.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
The bent with clips skeleton arm!
This piece was instrumental for me getting Lars’ drum kit right from my very first MOC. I’ve slightly changed the drum kit over the three different Metallica concerts I’ve made, but the skeleton arm has always helped me achieve the precise location of a drum or cymbal. My goal from day one, especially since I was able to simply purchase guitars for the guys, was to make a drum kit that Lars would be proud of, should he see it one day
Many drummers have complimented my drum kits on Instagram, saying I nailed them. It’s not only nice to hear, but really boosted confidence in both my creativity and this new-ish hobby.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
As we began our LEGO obsession during Covid, we stumbled across Tiago Catarino’s YouTube channel and quickly subscribed. We greatly enjoy his review videos, his honest perspective, and the snippets of information he shares from his experience as a LEGO designer. While his reviews have not dissuaded us from buying any LEGO sets, he has certainly persuaded us to purchase sets we otherwise would not have considered.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Marcus, aka Bob Brickman and Brickcrafts on YouTube. We eagerly await his video releases with updates on the progress of his creations for the museum he will be opening.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I had no plans to make this set in 2023! When Metallica announced the M72 Tour in 2022, I was thrilled to see Minneapolis, MN on the list of cities in 2024. I thought it would be fun to make that in 2025 after seeing it live and in person. Then in April of 2023, we got our first look at the stage and towers, and I was awestruck by it. Over the course of the European Leg of 2023, I began saving pictures and videos that I thought may help when I started to build. As my collection grew, inspiration struck, excitement took over, and I simply had to build it now.
- How long did the process of making the project take and what did you have to research? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
During the months of May and June, I simply collected Instagram pictures and videos from all angles. There were no concerts in July, so that became a good time to play around bricks and plates, determining the overall size of the stage. I knew from my first MOC, Metallica’s WorldWired Outdoor Stage, that Lars’ drum kit needed an 8x8 stud base. It’s always been very important to me to get Lars’ drum kit right, so removing a cymbal or two to make it smaller wasn’t an option. With basic size in mind, I knew the stage needed to be 10 or 12 studs wide. I decided to use a 48x48 baseplate, since that was what I used for second stage I made, my WorldWired Arena stage. It would help me display it somewhere if it had a similar footprint.
Using what we had, I grabbed two drawers of bricks and mapped out a circle that was 10 studs wide. 12 would make the pit smaller or leave no room for stairs on the outside of the stage, so that helped me to decide 10 would be the max. In the end, I would need to make Lars' drum riser a bit smaller by connecting cymbals to drums, but that was a problem for another day.
- What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The hardest part was the high ends of the stage. Getting this angle right to fit with the steps and getting the support below needed to provide the pathway to the snake pit, took the longest and was the most frustrating. At the time of this interview, I’m still tinkering with it.
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
It was a little over 6 months from the day I first saw the M72 stage to the day my MOC started gathering support on LEGO Ideas. It’s hard to put an exact hour count on it because it was something I did only at weekends, and it was still gardening season in Minnesota, so my time was divided. I’d estimate it at over 100 hours, but I can’t be any more specific than that.
If I spent 100 hours building this, I spent easily double that promoting it. Ultimately, it was the shares by Metallica’s accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and X, and the Metallica Family, MetFam, that repeatedly shared and got it to 10K. I chased down as many public posts as I could and would respond to people asking them to consider voting and provide the link, and I would then circle-back and thank people when they commented they had voted, etc.
After the first story share by Metallica on Instagram, which was a dream come true, I felt whatever happened was out of my hands then. That said, so many people were rooting for my M72 World Tour and so excited by it, I felt it was very important to let people know how much I appreciated the support, so I thanked people whenever possible.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
I believe it took 87 days. The final share on Instagram by Metallica happened after I had put my phone away for the night. I went to bed thinking that at the rate of about 50 per day, maybe it would hit 10K in a few days. When I woke up the next day, I had a text from one of my dearest Metallica-loving girlfriends saying, “You did it!” with a screenshot from LEGO Ideas showing Achieved Support.
My initial thought was WE DID IT. The MetFam made this happen.
My second thought was Metallica must have shared it again.
To be honest, I’m still in utter disbelief over it.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
2,972. Working in Finance, I’m very comfortable using Excel and Google Sheets. As I began to make purchases from Bricklink for my stage, I set up a spreadsheet to help track how many pieces each section of the build required. This made it easy for me to know where I was in relation to the 3,000-piece maximum and what I needed to remove to get my final submission under that.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
That’s easy. SNOT. The different sections of the stage are made in overlapping SNOT pieces. This enabled me to easily make things at different heights, while also achieving rounded edges for both the inner and outer walls of the stage.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I’m a physical builder.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I used StickerMule.com. Their online design tool allowed me to have total control of what the stickers looked like, and it was very easy to use! Within four hours of submitting my order I had proofs in my inbox to review. Once approved, my order was printed and arrived within a week.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
I’m a fan of both Metallica and LEGO, and I would love LEGO to make a Metallica set. My interests begin and end right there. To that end, I’m just making what I want to make with the thought that at some point, something will strike a chord. For whatever reason, maybe it’s the timeliness of my M72 World Tour and there being another year of concerts, but this took off in a way I never expected. I was just excited and wanted to see if I could make it!
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
Again, I have to say the Central Perk set, for all the reasons previously stated. There are so many great sets that either didn’t get produced or didn’t make it to 10K, it would be hard to call out just a few.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I like that it’s a way to get your idea in front of others. Even if you don’t make it to 10K, you’ll find people with similar interests. There is something for everyone if you take the time to look around.
The biggest tip I have is for physical builders. Invest in a lightbox! It doesn’t need to be expensive, but if you look at my profile, you can see the difference a lightbox makes in my project photos. The M72 World Tour photos were taken inside a collapsible lightbox, and it made the process so easy. All my other submissions were done with paper and lights, and sometimes outside with me head-to-toe in black clothing. It’s very hard to light things well and not get reflections in bricks and plates. If you don’t have the photo editing skills or software to be able to touch up your images, a lightbox is worth the investment. I wish I’d bought one years ago.
I would love to see other designers submit Metallica set ideas. There are so many possibilities and room for interpretation, and I think the MetFam would rally and continue to support ideas until we get a Metallica LEGO set.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
The list of Metallica sets I want to make is currently the length of my arm! Initially I had a three-year concert plan and 2024 should be year three, but after building two in 2023, I’m going to take 2024 off from making a new concert.
I have a few album covers in the works that I may submit. At some point I would also like to upscale Doris, and possibly make a version of her that falls apart.