A woman in Brazil has given birth in perhaps the most metal way of all time - she welcomed her son Luan at a Metallica concert as the band played 'Enter Sandman'.
Joice M Figueiró, a tattoo artist, was 39 weeks pregnant when she attended the concert at Couto Pereira stadium in the city of Curitiba on Saturday night (local time).
Her contractions began right as the band took to the stage, following the support acts.
Figueiró had been waiting years to see Metallica play. She bought tickets in 2019 for a 2020 concert, but the thrash metal legends had to delay their South America tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As such, Figueiró didn't leave the concert immediately, but rather "endured the pain for a long time", according to a post by the Brígida maternity hospital.
She couldn't take it anymore around the time the band played 'Master of Puppets' or 'Battery', toward the end of their set. At that point she finally motioned for the venue's medical team, who offered to call an ambulance - but it was too late.
Figueiró was taken to an on-site medical area which already had a man in it being treated for alcohol poisoning with an IV drip. As she lay on a stretcher, he stayed in the room and can even be seen in a photo taken on the night.
There, Figueiró gave birth as the iconic guitar riff of 'Enter Sandman' sent fans into frenzied cheers in the background, and Metallica frontman James Hetfield bellowed: "Say your prayers, little one / Don't forget, my son / To include everyone."
Luan Figueiró was born healthy at 11:15pm (local time). 'Enter Sandman' was the final song performed - so mum got to experience the entire concert, despite having a baby during it.
"It was a blur - it all happened so fast," Figueiró told The Washington Post.
"Since it wasn’t planned, I was scared that the medical team wouldn’t be ready. But there's also the feeling of being able to tell people that this happened because Metallica is one of the bands we love the most."
Following the birth, the family was transferred to the Brígida maternity hospital.
Figueiró posted a photo of her baby boy on Instagram and the caption, translated from Portuguese, said: "In every show I go to something has to happen, but this time I think I've outdone myself haha!"
The official Metallica Instagram account also reposted a Story of Figueiró's.
Below is the full setlist of the concert little Luan was born at:
- Whiplash
- Ride the Lightning
- The Memory Remains
- Seek and Destroy
- Moth Into Flame
- One
- Sad But True
- Whiskey in the Jar
- The Unforgiven
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Creeping Death
- Fade to Black
- Master of Puppets
Encore
- Battery
- Nothing Else Matters
- Enter Sandman
