Metallica’s latest ‘Helping Hands’ benefit raised $3 million (£2.4 million) for charity.
The heavy metal legends – comprising James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Rob Trujilo, and Kirk Hammett – brought out St. Vincent and had Greta Van Fleet perform at the fundraising event for their All Within My Hands non-profit at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on December 16.
Peter Delgrosso, executive director at All Within My Hands, said: “The funds raised from the ‘Helping Hands Concert and Auction’ will have a lasting impact on All Within My Hands’ ability to grow our Metallica Scholars initiative, combat hunger, and aid in response to natural disasters.
“The Los Angeles event was the largest fundraiser in our history, and we profoundly appreciate the generosity of everyone involved. We could not have achieved these results otherwise.”
Among the organisations to benefit from the money raised will be Baby2Baby, First Star, Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, mikeroweWorks Foundation and The Skatepark Project.
The band’s star-studded 2021 covers album ‘The Metallica Blacklist’ made a whopping $1 million (£824,430).
Metallica and their collaborators – including Miley Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton – have chosen the non-profits they wish the money to go to.
Miley chose her Happy Hippie Foundation, which she founded in 2014 to offer “homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations with consistent” support.
Phoebe opted for RAINN (The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), and Chris and his wife Morgane picked their Outlaw State Of Kind fund, which supports “a variety of causes close to their heart.”
Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation previously donated $100,000 to those affected by California’s devastating wildfires in 2018.
Meanwhile, the ‘Nothing Else Matters’ rockers are set to release their 11th studio album ’72 Seasons’ on April 14.