James Hetfield had a bout of imposter syndrome at a recent Metallica concert, proving that even the biggest musicians are just like the rest of us.
Hetfield got really vulnerable with over 60,000 fans at Brazil’s Estádio do Mineirão last week. “I’ve gotta tell you I wasn’t feeling very good before I came out here,” the Metallica frontman admitted. “(I was) feeling a little bit insecure, like I’m an old guy, can’t play anymore, all this bullshit that I tell myself in my head.”
That’s when the rest of Metallica intervened. “So I talked to these guys, and they helped me — as simple as that,” he added. “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.”
Hatfield’s bandmates then rushed to him on stage for a big group hug, drawing happy cheers from the huge crowd. Visibly moved by the moment, Hetfield addressed the crowd again: “Seeing you out there, I am not alone. I am not alone, and neither are you.”
Metallica have always had a special bond with their fans. Last week also saw Hetfield phone Joice M. Figueiró, a Brazilian fan who gave birth at their Curitiba concert.
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“This is James from METALLICA. Congratulations, you guys,” he could be heard saying in the clip that Figueiró shared on social media. “Oh my God. Hi,” she responds. “I cry.” According to Figueiró, the call lasted seven minutes. “I have no more words,” she said.
Figueiró went to the metal legend’s concert while 39 weeks pregnant and started having contractions when the metal legends took to the stage. As her water broke, there was simply no time to make it to the maternity hospital.
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