Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett Play National Anthem at X Games — Video
You never know where Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett will turn up.
On Saturday, they performed the National Anthem—also known as "The Star-Spangled Banner"—to kick off the X Games in Austin, Texas.
The full band also performed at the X Games later that day, co-headlining the Super Stage alongside Nicki Minaj (of course). The lineup also featured Talib Kweli, Kid Ink, Pennywise, Deltron 3030, Joywave and the Glitch Mob.
A professionally mixed recording of that show is available for pre-order at Metallica's website and will cost $5 through July 15. Audio will be posted in the next few days (we'll keep you updated); all proceeds will benefit efforts to assist victims of the recent floods in Central Texas.
Enjoy!
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
“It was just full of guitars, and there was no air in it. No spaces, no gaps”: Bill Wyman reunited with his old Rolling Stones bandmates on their Hackney Diamonds album, but didn't like the track he played on
“I played a 5-string with Lauryn Hill, but it didn’t feel like a real bass”: Raised on R&B, schooled by fusion, and empowered by punk rock, Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer remains a 4-string purist