Jeff Yeager/Metallica/Getty ImagesMetallica was the featured guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night. James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo appeared in three segments and joined host Jimmy Kimmel for a trivia game, an interview and a live performance. Kimmel said that the news of the band performing a free outdoor concert drew the largest crowd they’ve ever had, closing down the streets around the theater in Hollywood.
The band first appeared first in a trivia game show, competing with a die-hard fan named Dave, a fireman from Cleveland who came out to see them play. Dave was playing to win an ESP guitar signed by the band, while the band was playing to take Dave’s wallet. During the game, Kirk Hammett revealed that he bought his first guitar at Montgomery Ward. Dave lost, but he's happy: the band is flying him out to see them on their tour next year.
The band also talked about why it took eight years to put out their latest album, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. They pointed out that they'd been touring and also released their movie in that time. Lars said that he likes to listen to the new album in his car before they release it, while James shared that he took four years of drafting in high school, and it was he who came up with the band’s classic logo.
Kimmel asked them if their kids considered them cool. Kirk surprised Kimmel with the news that his kids, who play cello, piano and violin, think guitar playing is boring. Lars and James said they got their kids into metal by exposing them to it when they were very young.
The band closed the show with a performance of “Atlas Rise,” and then returned after a commercial break to deliver “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
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