James Hetfield of Metallica has played his first-ever performance post-rehab, and the first song he decided to play now that he is out is a tribute to Eddie Money with ‘Baby Hold On’.
James Hetfield made his first public appearance post-rehab at the end of January when he attended an event at the Petersen Automotive Museum, where he had his own car exhibit. Last night (Feb. 20) marked his first live performance following his rehab stint as he played Eddie Money’s ‘Baby Hold On’ at a tribute concert for the late rocker, who died in September.
In a video of the performance, the Metallica frontman is seen walking out onstage with a big smile on his face before the camera glances at a photo of him and Money together. “So I got to hang out with Eddie, the last probably three years of his life,” the rocker grins as he strums an acoustic guitar.
Hetfield then tells a story of the first time he met the “Two Tickets to Paradise” singer, which was at an Oakland Raiders game. “He kinda blew me off, and I thought, ‘who is is this pompous ass?'” he jokes. “So it was like two big dogs going in a circle around each other, which was kinda funny. I saw through it, I saw through that ego, and he saw through mine, and we got to be friends, because I think our egos matched the size of our insecurities.”
Watch the video below of James Hetfield giving his first performance post-rehab below.
Metallica will headline two nights at five Danny Wimmer Presents festivals this year. Get tickets here.
Metallica’s first 2020 show, an All Within My Hands benefit concert, will take place on March 28 in San Francisco, Calif. followed by a series of world tour dates and dual performances at five U.S. festivals. Head here for tickets and check Metallica’s website for all touring information
Love Metal?
Get the latest Metal news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
