METALLICA Guitarist Kirk Hammett - "We're A Lot Happier And More Consistent"
September 15, 2010, 14 years ago
Andrew Murfett at Australia-based TheAge.com recently caught up with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. An excerpt from the story is available below:
Ask Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist for veteran hard-rock superstars Metallica about his band's collective state of mind, and he smiles widely.
"This tour has been a lot easier and more laid-back than the last ones," he said. "Musically and mentally, we are in a much better place. We're playing a lot better than the last tour. Everyone is in good moods."Hammett was standing backstage in Melbourne yesterday just before the heavy metal legends hit Rod Laver Arena's stage for the first of five huge shows and a vast national tour.
It went down a treat with the 15,000-plus crowd and leaned heavily on some of the band's biggest hits.
Hammett and co are in Australia for the first time since 2004. The Death Magnetic tour, which leans heavily on the 2008 album of the same name, is performed "in the round" and is an all-new stage production.
It also marks the first time that the four band members — Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Rob Trujillo — have toured as parents.
"On this tour, all of us are now fathers," Hammett said. "We all have families. Which wasn't the case on the last tour. The new schedule allows us to spend more time with our families which means we're a lot happier and more consistent and we are seeing our family on a regular basis. There is a good balance in-between. It's great to know and feel we are all on the same page."Go to this location for the complete story.
Metallica's upcoming schedule for Australia, New Zealand and Japan is currently as follows. Stay tuned for updates.
September
16 - Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne, Australia18 - Acer Arena - Sydney, Australia
21 - CBS Canterbury Arena - Christchurch, New Zealand
22 - CBS Canterbury Arena - Christchurch, New Zealand
25 - Saitama Super Arena - Tokyo, Japan
26 - Saitama Super Arena - Tokyo, Japan
