James Hetfield fronts one of the biggest bands in the world that’s also one of the most successful bands in history. One would think that would eliminate any insecurities, but alas, it doesn’t.
Hetfield touched on that in a new interview with Cigar Aficionado. The Metallica frontman said, “I know individually we’re all really average players, but when you put us together something happens.” While he obviously loves jamming with his bandmates, he told the outlet that it would be a “nightmare” jamming with anyone else.
Additionally, he touched on how in Metallica’s early days he had terrible stage fright. He chalks that up to him used to being a shy person. Amazingly, he’s not only overcome his stage fright, but now, he’s able to show some vulnerability.
In May 2022, Metallica was playing a show in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Before playing “Sad But True,” Papa Het gave a speech about how he was having a rough day.
“I’ve gotta tell you I wasn’t feeling very good before I came out here,” said Hetfield. “[I was] feeling a little bit insecure, like I’m an old guy, [I] can’t play anymore — all this bulls— that I tell myself in my head. So I talked to these guys, and they helped me — as simple as that. They gave me a hug and said, ‘Hey, if you’re struggling on stage, we’ve got your back.’ And I tell you, it means the world to me.”
And as if it couldn’t get any more heartwarming, the entire band then swarmed Hetfield for another big hug, because sometimes, even one of the most legendary frontmen feels insecure and needs a little help from his friends.
In other Metallica-related news: The band’s new album 72 Seasons comes out on April 14. It’s available for pre-save here, while physical copies are available for pre-order at Metallica.com.
