James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett Play “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Stanley Cup Finals
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett reprised their twin-guitar version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” yesterday before Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Their arrangement of the national anthem—with Hammett playing the melody while Hetfield adds harmony, counterpoint and chord support—is becoming something of a standard in its own right. The two men have performed it at NBA finals, at the X Games, and of course at San Francisco Giants games during the annual Metallica Day at AT&T Park.
Both men wore Sharks jerseys for their performance, and their gear was outfitted appropriately, with a Sharks/Metallica logo on the amps and a team sticker on Hetfield’s guitar. Both of the guitars used in the performance will be auctioned through NHL Auctions on behalf of the Sharks Foundation, which benefits underserved youth and families. The auctions close June 15.
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Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of Guitar Player magazine, the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World, a founding editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a former editor with Guitar World, Guitar for the Practicing Musician and Maximum Guitar. Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.
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