" Enter Sandman " has been played in almost every Metallica live performance since its release . The band released live versions of the song in the videos '' Live Shit : Binge & Purge '' , '' Cunning Stunts '' , and '' S&M '' where the band played with the San Francisco Symphony led by maestro Michael Kamen . The song is discussed in the videos '' A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica '' and '' Classic Albums : Metallica - Metallica '' , and its video is available in '' The Videos 1989-2004 '' . Metallica has played the song live at awards ceremonies and benefit concerts , such as the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards , the 1992 Grammy Awards , the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert , and Live Earth . Explosives are occasionally set off at 0:49 of the song , when the main riffs start . Following its UK terrestrial broadcast of Live Earth , the BBC received 413 complaints and apologized to Metallica fans for cutting the band 's set before " Enter Sandman "
1991 MTV Video Music Awards
1991 MTV Video Music Awards
Enter Sandman