Metallica 's performance in Belo Horizonte last Thursday, the 12th, James Hetfield opened up about feeling the weight of age and having questioned himself a lot before going on stage. Visibly emotional, the singer spoke about the weight of certain intrusive thoughts and the importance of the support from his bandmates.
“I need to tell you, I wasn’t feeling very well before going on stage,” he revealed. “I was feeling a little insecure, thinking, ‘I’m an old guy, I can’t play anymore,’ and you know, all that nonsense I tell myself. It was all in my head. So I talked to these guys [band members], and they helped me, just like that. They gave me a hug and said, ‘If you have any difficulties on stage, we’ll help you.’ And that means everything to me.”
Visibly emotional, Hetfield paused to hold back tears, and his bandmates promptly stood up to embrace him. After a few seconds, each member returned to their seat, and James finished his speech: “And now, seeing all of you there in the audience, I… I’m not alone. I’m not alone, and neither are you.”
Check out a video of the moment, recorded by a fan:
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