Metalheads who locked eyes at Metallica gig now married after rock festival honeymoon and 150 concerts together

Two heavy metal superfans who “rocked out” at a Metallica gig are now married having seen the rock band together 26 times – including on their honeymoon.

Jack Butcher, 36, a business analyst, and Emma Torres, 35, a freelance vision mixer, were at a Metallica show in Prague in 2019 when they locked eyes during the band’s 1986 hit Master Of Puppets.

After the gig, Jack approached Emma and they discovered they both lived near London, and he asked for her number, and their connection quickly grew beyond music.

The pair were married in 2021 and honeymooned at the Louder Than Life rock festival in Kentucky where, naturally, Metallica were headliners.

Music continues to be a huge part of their relationship – they have 20 gigs booked this year, attended all of Metallica’s European shows last summer, and estimate they have been to a total of 150 concerts together.

Jack, who lives in London with Emma, told PA Real Life: “It was a sliding doors moment and music and gigs are huge for us and I feel like our lives are just one never-ending conversation about music.

“I just thought she was very beautiful and the fact she was into a band that I liked so much as well was a massive plus.

“It’s just one of those things – I think I liked her instantly.”

Jack and Emma have loved rock and metal since their teenage years, attending their first gigs in 2002 – Jack saw System of a Down in Nottingham, while Emma, who grew up in Mexico, saw Garbage in Mexico City.

Metallica remain a favourite, with Jack seeing them for the first time at Reading Festival in 2003 and Emma in Austin, Texas, in 2009.

Jack admires their “creative riffs”, “brilliant lyrics” and live energy, while Emma loves how “every album sounds so different”.

At concerts, they “look like metal fans”, tending to wear black jeans, band t-shirts and battle jackets – denim jackets with patches and badges of their favourite bands.

By 2019, Jack had seen Metallica around 30 times, and Emma had seen them twice.

In August that year, Jack got tickets for a show in Prague, and at the last minute, Emma’s friend asked if she would like to go, and she instantly said yes.

They both had tickets for the Snake Pit section of the crowd – a small area at the front where the stage loops around the audience.

As the show went on, the crowd got “pretty wild” and when Metallica played Master Of Puppets, Emma and Jack locked eyes and “rocked out” together.

“We were singing along and I was thinking, ‘he’s cute’,” Emma said.

This interaction lasted only a moment as the crowd was constantly moving, and by the time the show ended around 20 minutes later, Jack had lost his friends.

While looking for them, he noticed Emma standing on her own and made his way over to her, despite being unsure if she spoke English.

He struck up a conversation about the band and they discovered they both lived near London, so Jack asked for her number.

“He was asking me how many times I’d seen Metallica, and I was impressed that he had seen them so many times,” Emma recalled.

The next day, Metallica posted an image of the crowd on social media, and Emma was in the frame.

Jack said: “I saw it as an ideal opportunity for me to have something really interesting to say to Emma and send her a text!”

A few weeks later, the pair met up, soon began dating, and quickly realised their connection went beyond just a concert experience.

They tied the knot in 2021 but decided not to have anything metal-related on their big day.

Instead, they made their trip to the Louder Than Life rock festival for their honeymoon.

Music and gigs continue to be a huge part of their relationship.

They have seen Metallica together around 26 times, spent last summer attending every one of the band’s European shows, and have even travelled as far as Boston to see them.

“Having now seen them so many times, it’s the atmosphere that really keeps me coming back,” Jack explained.

“The opportunity to experience Metallica in a different city, in a different venue, in a different country, just makes it like a new experience every time.”

They have also seen bands such as AC/DC, Slipknot and The Prodigy and attend the Louder Than Life festival every year.

This year, they already have around 20 gigs booked, including two Metallica shows in Toronto, two in Nashville, and one in Birmingham.

They often use Twickets to buy tickets, as they hate missing out on a highly anticipated gig.

“I think it’s ethical ticket reselling and… it’s done in a very genuine and honest way – you don’t rip off another fan,” Jack added.

“On the flip side, it’s also just financially problematic to have a ticket you can’t use, so it’s good to be able to resell it.”

For those hoping to meet someone at a gig, Emma said: “I think people have this reputation in their head that metalheads are mean, aggressive and not nice or polite.

“They look scary, but they’re really peaceful.

“I would say be open and friendly!”