Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett recently spoke with Billboard about the band's recent intimate show at the Opera House in Toronto, Metallica's longevity, and his disdain for Preseident Elect Donald Trump. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Billboard: How do you all decide on the charities for these small shows or special events?

Hammett: "I’ve been a member of the Sierra Club forever and ever now, and Rob and I are members of Surfrider because we’re surfers and we care about the oceans. The oceans are our playground, so we have a very high regard for it. The food bank, it’s great that we’re in a position where we can offer a little bit of direction, a little bit of guidance to people to maybe help some other human beings that are less fortunate.

I really think that going into these next few years and the global situation, that it’s important for everyone to just start talking to each other and communicating… And so Metallica really wants the world to be a better place. We really do. I know that sounds so funny and almost contrary, but this is our part in just doing what we can."

Billboard: Which leads me to Trump.

Hammett: "I’m just waiting to get into a personal Twitter war with him. I’m just waiting."

Billboard: Here’s a guy who once said that climate change is a hoax devised by China...

Hammett: "Okay. Let’s sit with that statement right there. What does that tell you about the man? What does that tell you? Any normal, educated person who has a pretty good grip on reality -- evenly balanced, could even be a centrist sort of person, not left or not right, any person who I just described -- upon hearing something like that would just think, 'What the fuckin’ fairy tale did that come out of?'"

For me, a good leader is someone with integrity, honesty and altruism, and a general sense of what is right and what’s wrong. We don’t have that in our leadership right now, and that puts me in a state of awareness and attentiveness, and it puts me in a state of wait and see what will happen. But if anything happens that I’m not okay with, I’m going to be super vocal about it for the first time in my life."

Billboard: And you know you can reach him on Twitter because he’s on there at 3 in the morning.

Hammett: "I could pick up my phone right now and say exactly what I said and provoke a fight with the President [Elect] of the United States, and chances are he’ll fall for the bait. That’s a sad thing, right there."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Prior to their special intimate show on at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA on December 15th, Metallica have announced a television appearance and block party in support of their new album Hardwired...To Self Destruct.

Says the band: "As you may have heard, we’re off to Los Angeles next week for some more shenanigans and while we’re there we’ve been invited to shut down a few streets and throw a massive block party with Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy has been kind enough to ask us to stop by, chat and play a few songs outside of the studio on Wednesday, December 14th. We want you to join us!"