Heavy metal band Metallica gets Antarctica gig

Metallica has announced it will perform in Antarctica for the first time, in a rare gig that won't be amplified.

"After over 30 years as a band, we have been unbelievably fortunate to visit just about every corner of the earth ... except for one," the US group said on its website Thursday.

"That is all about to change as we are set travel to Antarctica, the only continent that Metallica has never played on until now!!"

The concert will take place on December 8 near the heliport and inside a dome on Argentina's Carlini base.

What also sets this gig apart is that "the show will be transmitted to the audience via headphones with no amplification ... a real first for us!"

To attend, fans have to take part in a contest organized by Coca-Cola Zero that will be launched in Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica and Mexico later this month.

According to Rolling Stone, the Metallica concert will only be the second to be staged on Antarctica. The first was in 2007 by the indie rock group Nunatak consisting of climate change researchers, it reported on its website.