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James Hetfield Of Metallica Told Me The Funny Story Of Breaking Two Ribs Mid-Tour In Detroit – 2017

Author Meltdown

With the release of the new Metallica album 72 Seasons, I flashed back to an interview I did with James Hetfield before the 2017 Comerica park show. We talked about Hardwired, the tour and more. But one funny story stuck out to me.

When I do interviews, sometimes I’ll reach out to people who might know, or have a fun story about whomever I’m talking with. I never do this with any ill will, or to get a “gotcha” question. I’m always looking for something fun to talk to them about. Something they might not have been asked before. This practice has resulted in some great moments in past interviews. This one was no exception.

Before the guys came through, I texted Kid Rock to get something interesting. He texted back something along the lines of “ask him about running into a fence on my property while riding a dirtbike” So, of course, I did.

Me “So, Kid Rock wanted me to ask you about crashing a motorcycle at his house.” James replied “Never happened.” very quickly, and with a smirk on his face.  I pressed on “Never happened? No? Not on the fence? No, nothing?” James finally confessed “I take offense (fence) at that. You know, it happened. And every time he’s around, things break.”

He jokingly went on to to tell me how he needs to stay away from that guy (Kid Rock). As the story unfolded, he did sort of make amends to Rock and the fence. I asked him if he signed the fence after he broke it. (Another little tidbit Rock had giving me) He did, as if to say “I’m sorry I broke your fence.” Not only did he break the fence, he broke some ribs and his glasses…all while in the middle of a tour! “It was the beginning of, uh… Yes. Beginning of a summer tour? Yeah. I sung the whole tour with two broken ribs, and I wouldn’t recommend that, but I wouldn’t recommend catching on fire or a lot of other things too.”

Yeah, James has done many thing he wouldn’t recommend. “Very true.” James so eloquently stated.

One of my favorite guys to interview. You can watch the whole conversation below.

-Meltdown-

Check out pictures from that 2017 Detroit show below…..

Flashback to Metallica at Comerica Park in 2017

It’s definitely hard going through summer without going to any shows but at least we have our memories. Who could forget the day Metallica came through Detroit and performed at Comerica Park!? It was one of the most humid days ever and we were even hit with a huge rain storm and we had a chance of sever storms later that night. That was three years ago today (July 12, 2017). So lets look back at that day when Meltdown had the chance to sit down with Papa Het (James Hetfield) of Metallica before their set as well as some never seen before photos from that night.

 

 

Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history. Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.

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