On the latest episode of The Metallica Report Podcast, episode 23, James Hetfield gave an interview in which he discussed still being thrilled by the “excitement and the danger” of using pyro during Metallica shows, 30 plus years after he nearly lost his life on August 8th 1992. The infamous pyro accident took place during the Metallica / Guns N Roses co-headline tour. James said in the interview that it takes a special kind of person to manage pyrotechnics for a band, that they might be pyromaniacs deep down, and he’s still very excited Metallica gets to use it for songs like “Fuel,” “One,” and “Fade To Black!” He also remarked that Kirk Hammet is frequently a near miss of pyro accidents because he runs around the stage so much during a show, and he’s unpredictable. But he also said that the staff and crew are excellent, the band employs spottters, and fire marshals every show to prevent them from making mistakes. Hetfield suffered third degree burns to his hand, arm, and face when he accidentally stood in front of the wrong pyro station during a performance of “Fate to Black.” Recently profiled in Guitar World for his Messengers guitar book that was released in 2023, James shared the books’ in-depth review of that double-neck ESP guitar he was holding in that night when he was burned, and the memories that it holds for him. James said “I don’t blame the guitar. I don’t blame the pyro guy. It happened for a reason.” Listen to the Metallica podcast below!Continue reading →