After years of headlining others' festivals, heavy metal band Metallica is finally playing one of its own.

The first Orion Music + More Festival will take place on June 23 and 24 at Bader Field Airport in Atlantic City, NJ. More than 20 bands will join Metallica during the two day event where the Dave Matthews Band had three successful shows last year.

Those holding out hope for a "Big 4" tour of North America will have to keep waiting. Thrash metal titans Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax announced today, January 25, that they will share a stage in the United States for the first time ever — but only for a single day.

The so-called Big 4 Festival goes down April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. Public ticket sales for the event begin January 28 at 10 a.m. (PST). Regular ticket prices are set at $99, but VIP passes will also be available for $199, according to Ticketmaster.com.

"Ticketmaster to Launch Paperless Ticket(tm) Technology in Canada With Upcoming Metallica Concert At MTS Centre"

WINNIPEG, Manitoba and WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) April 2, 2009 - Ticketmaster, a Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., (Nasdaq:TKTM) operating business, today announced that they will launch their Paperless Ticket(tm) technology with Metallica's October 12th concert at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba beginning Saturday, April 4th, when tickets go on sale for the band's October 12th concert at the venue. MTS Centre will be the first venue in Canada equipped to seamlessly validate Ticketmaster's non-transferable, paperless tickets. The technology creates an electronic ticket on the buyer's credit card, up until their time of entry to the venue, and will be a delivery choice for 20% percent of fans who purchase tickets to Metallica's October 12th concert. These fans will present their credit card at MTS Centre's entry gates, along with a valid photo ID, to receive immediate access and a receipt to the event.

"Ticketmaster's Paperless Ticket(tm) initiative is a great way to ensure that tickets get into fans' hands directly and securely," said Tom Worrall, Ticketmaster Canada's Chief Operating Officer. "This technology provides fans with better access to and the live entertainment industry with more control over their tickets. I salute MTS Centre for leading the way and for taking this bold step for Manitoba concert fans."

After a surprise performance on March 20 at South By Southwest, heavy metal icon Metallica was on its way back to Europe to complete the remainder of the band's spring/summer tour there. But national fans won't have to wait long for more concerts on this side of the Atlantic. The "Death Magnetic" machine will roll back through North America at the end of 2009.

The next leg of the jaunt picks up September 14 at Sommet Center in Nashville, TN, and closes December 12 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. The 26-city tour follows a similar coast-to-coast route as its North American opening in fall 2008, hitting markets the band missed the first time through.

Since their introduction earlier this year, paperless tickets have become a high-profile option for artists who want to make sure their fans get the best seats in the house. For promoters and venue managers of arenas, the initial concern was the ease and efficiency in getting the fans into the facility without huge backed-up lines.

The first test of the system in a concert setting in Europe was Metallica's show at the O2 Arena in the UK, which sold tickets exclusively using Ticketmaster's paperless ticket technology. More than 7,000 tickets were scanned or swiped in the first 45 minutes, with more than 17,000 fans with paperless tickets admitted in just over two hours. The September 15 concert was also the biggest gig ever played at the O2.