METALLICA's HAMMETT: 'We Love Each Other And Hate Each Other And Everything In Between'

September 15, 2010

Andrew Murfett of The Age conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett earlier tonight (Wednesday, September 15) in Melbourne just before the band hit Rod Laver Arena's stage for the first of five huge shows and a vast Australian tour. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On METALLICA's current tour:

"This tour has been a lot easier and more laid-back than the last ones. Musically and mentally, we are in a much better place. We're playing a lot better than the last tour. Everyone is in good moods."

On touring as parents:

"On this tour, all of us are now fathers. We all have families. Which wasn't the case on the last tour. The new schedule allows us to spend more time with our families which means we're a lot happier and more consistent and we are seeing our family on a regular basis. There is a good balance in-between. It's great to know and feel we are all on the same page."

On the METALLICA documentary "Some Kind of Monster" which detailed a period in which inner-band turmoil meant they felt the need to attempt to record an album with the help of a therapist:

"We are not that band any more. The band you see in that movie, we have not been for five years or so now. We have a better relationship with each other. We have moved on. The state of the affairs feel like it did in the 1980s. We're back to that vibe, which is a great thing."

"We're brothers. We love each other and hate each other and everything in between. I feel very fortunate we still have the relationship we had. Sometimes I feel like they are my other wives."

On METALLICA's setlist for the Australian tour:

"Basically, Lars [Ulrich, drums] gets all the statistics of what set we played in Australia in 1989 and 1993 and 2004. He pulls together a set that comprises all the songs that we have to play ('Nothing Else Matters', 'One', 'Enter Sandman') all the new songs we want to play (from 'Death Magnetic'),and then there's a certain amount of songs we haven't played here yet."

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