Metallica's annual Helping Hands concert is an all-star fundraising event organized by the metal legends to support their philanthropic foundation All Within My Hands Foundation.
Launched in 2017, the ambitious non-profit focuses on addressing issues such as job training, disaster relief, homelessness prevention and mental health initiatives.
Since its inception, AWMH has raised millions of dollars through various events, with the Helping Hands Concert and auction being one of the more interesting ways the foundation collects monies.
In 2022, for example, the concert and auction raised over $3 million.
Since 2020, late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel has been the MC for the night as he was Friday the 13th at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA which sits next to SoFi Stadium, across the street from the Kia Forum.
The musical part of the gig began an acoustic set of five tunes. Joining the core four of Metallica were Avi Vinocur and Henry Savia who often accompany the band for special occasions like this where they add additional vocals, keyboards, and mandolins.
Besides the humanitarian aspects of AWMH is getting to hear Metallica stripped down a tad during the acoustic set. James Hetfield's voice sounds just as powerful in this environment as when he's screaming in a football stadium.
"We got acoustic for a little while, so put up with it," Hetfield told the crowd who had paid a pretty penny for tickets to this more intimate appearance.
"Low Man's Lyric" was the first tune in the set, a song the singer said was inspired by a "big idol" of his, Tom Waits.
Metallica hadn't played it live in 26 years.
Next was a Diamond Head cover, "Helpless" which hadn't been performed acoustic since May, 1998.
Metallica has had a beautiful relationship with Diamond Head. Forty years ago they covered the British group's signature song, "Am I Evil" as the B-side for "Creeping Death." This was for the band's sophomore album, Ride The Lightning.
How influential was Diamond Head to Metallica? The album they borrowed "Am I Evil" from was Diamond Head's debut, Lightning to the Nations.
During the electric set, Metallica performed "The Unforgiven II" off Reload.
It's a song they'd only played a half dozen times before, the last being 9 1/2 years ago. Of the "Unforgiven" trilogy of tunes, "II" has been played the fewest times. "III" from Death Magnetic has been rocked 10 times. The original has seen its name on their setlist 540 times.
A very cool moment came during the second-to-last song of the night when Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament joined the band for "Hit The Lights," one of the tunes Metallica has been shredding since their earliest incarnation.
But wait, Jeff is a bass player? So what did Robert Trujillo of Metallica do when Jeff was up there?
He rocked out too. All hands on deck for the All Within My Hands night.
The night ended with "Master of Puppets." And with that Metallica had completed their 31st gig of the year and they put 2024 to bed.
The M72 World Tour continues in April in New York. Get tickets on their website.
