METALLICA‘s front man James Hetfield got emotional during the band’s concert Thursday night in Brazil, admitting to the audience that he was “feeling a little bit insecure” prior to taking the stage.

Before starting “Sad But True” at Estádio do Mineirão in Belo Horizonte on May 12, the 58  years old thanked the huge crowd, saying how he and his bandmates are “so blessed” to have the support of such a loyal fanbase.
But then he added : “I’ve gotta tell you I wasn’t feeling very good before I came out here. [I was] feeling a little bit insecure, like I’m an old guy, [I] can’t play anymore, all this bullshit that I tell myself in my head. So I talked to these guys, and they helped me, as simple as that. 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.” At that point, all three of James‘s bandmates approached the singer and once again gave him a heartfelt group hug, with Hetfield visibly touched by the gesture. He then once again addressed the audience, telling them: “And seeing you out there, I… I am not alone. I am not alone, and neither are you.”

James has been open about his battles with addiction, anxiety and low self-esteem in the past, most recently last fall while discussing the transformation he had to undergo in order to successfully front METALLICAduring the touring cycle for the band’s 1991 self-titled album, which stands as one of the top-selling records of all time.

He told Apple Music‘s Zane Lowe in October 2021: “There was such an expectation already on myself to not let the team down and be the best as possible. But then you add 60,000 people out there… You need to be what they need you to be, ’cause this is what you’ve evolved to be. And it is a little bit of Oz,” referencing the classic 1900 children’s book “The Wizard Of Oz” by L. Frank Baum which was then adapted into the two-time Oscar-winning film in 1939. “Like, the man behind the curtain, pay no attention, but this guy behind the curtain is just dying and struggling and freaking out and not knowing who he is.”

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