James Hetfield’s Anxiety Dreams and Self-Doubt Ahead of Metallica’s TourBy Phil Weller, published 11 hours ago

Metallica guitarist James Hetfield recently shared his struggles with anxiety and self-doubt before embarking on the band’s latest world tour. Despite being part of one of the biggest bands in the world, Hetfield experienced vivid nightmares about malfunctioning guitars, tragically short cables, and disappearing roadies.

In an episode of the band’s official podcast, The Metallica Report, Hetfield revealed the depth of his pre-tour anxiety. “I start to doubt myself, thinking, ‘We’re old, we can’t do this,'” he confessed (as transcribed by Metal Injection).

One particularly bizarre dream involved a guitar neck made of rubber and having only two strings. “Where’s my roadie?” Hetfield would think as the guitar cord wouldn’t let him reach the microphone. He described these anxieties as “silly stuff,” but they clearly impacted him deeply.

Despite these challenges, Hetfield has learned to accept these feelings as part of the touring cycle. He advises not letting the anxiety get the best of you, reassuring that “as soon as you get up there, it’s all gonna be good.”

Hetfield has been open about his struggles both on and off stage. During a 2022 concert in Brazil, he admitted to a crowd of 60,000 that he felt “insecure” about his guitar playing that night, highlighting his ongoing bаttle with self-doubt.