Kirk Hammett on Metallica turning 40: “I still feel like we haven’t really peaked”

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo were interviewed by Giants postgame live analyst George Kontos about the band’s upcoming 40th-anniversary celebrations prior to Thursday’s (July 22) game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the interview Hammett said that it feels crazy that the band has kept going for four decades but it still feels for him that the group who is known to be the planet’s biggest metal band hasn’t really yet peaked on it’s career. Hammett had the following to say about the group’s long lasting career:

“Man, it’s crazy when I think about four decades. ‘Cause I swear to God, it seems like just yesterday that we were on a tour bus somewhere in the middle of America, just trying to keep up with everything. And nowadays it’s just… Forty years passed so quickly. It’s amazing. What’s truly amazing now is the fact that I still feel like we haven’t really peaked, we’re still real hungry, we still wanna make music, we still care about music, we still care about each other. I don’t see any signs of us slowing down, man, ’cause we have stuff that we wanna do.”– Kirk Hammett

Robert Trujillo added:

“You know, what’s insane about all this is that there’s no shortage of musical ideas and riffs and grooves and bass lines. A lot of times when bands have been around that long, there is a shortage — people run out of ideas — and we have the opposite problem; we’ve got too many ideas. So it’s a good problem to have.”– Robert Trujillo

Metallica will play two special 40th anniversary shows at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA  on December 17th & 19th. Tickets for the concerts will be made available exclusively to the band’s fan club members and the group recently released the following press release about the gigs:

“As hard as it is to believe, the band will be turning the big 4 – 0 this October. It’s a wild thing to wrap our heads around… it feels like just yesterday that we were hitting the stage playing our first show at Radio City in Anaheim, CA, in the spring of 1982! Okay, fair enough maybe that wasn’t just yesterday; so many things have happened since Lars and James got together in the fall of ’81… almost 2,000 live shows across seven continents, mind-blowing successes and crazy off-road adventures. It’s been a nutty ride and even though most of the time it feels like we’re just getting started, we’re excited to celebrate the past four decades with you. What better way to mark this milestone than to invite the worldwide Metallica Family to join us in our hometown of San Francisco, CA, where we will be performing two different live sets at Chase Center on December 17 and 19 for Fifth Members only!!”

We were so in awe of the love, support, and dedication that came our way during the S&M2 concerts when fans from over 60 countries around the globe traveled to the City by the Bay for the weekend in September of 2019. You guys completely took over San Francisco and the unbelievably good vibes and sense of family inspired us to invite all of you to come back! In addition to our two shows at Chase Center, we will be curating other live music and comedy events, Blackened Whiskey tastings, and so much more all around the city during the long four-day weekend of celebrations starting on Thursday, December 16. Details and ticketing information for these various events will be announced as they are confirmed.

So… we bet you want to know how to get tickets, don’t you? Tickets will be available only to registered Fifth Members and, in an effort to make it as fair as possible for every member who would like to attend, members are invited to enter to win a reservation code that will guarantee them the opportunity to purchase tickets in a private sale closed to the public. Reservation winners will be chosen randomly and e-mailed additional information and directions to proceed with their purchase.

Winners will have the option to choose from two-day tickets to gain entry to both Metallica shows at Chase Center or single day tickets for the show on either December 17 or December 19. Travel packages that include both tickets and hotel accommodations will also be available courtesy of MetallicaTravel.com. All members will be limited to a maximum purchase of two show tickets or one hotel/ticket package (package options include either two or four tickets).

We will have so much more to tell you about in the coming months, but for now, we hope that you’ll open those calendars and make plans to come hang with us for one unforgettable long weekend in San Francisco.

A word about Covid-19:
We do not know what local ordinances regarding vaccine and/or testing status will be in December of 2021. Because these rules and guidelines are ever evolving, we will update Metallica.com and send all ticket buyers an update 30 days in advance of the shows as to what will be required, if anything, for entry into the show. However in the meantime, we strongly recommend that you get fully vaccinated prior to the concert date as this will be the best way to keep everyone safe and healthy and to keep this show on the road! Visit Vaccines.gov for more information or to book your appointment. Our friends outside the U.S. should consult with their local pharmacy or government website.

Stay safe and we will see you in December in San Francisco!”