TWEC.com Chat With Kirk Hammett
(January 9, 2000)

twec.com: twec.com is proud to welcome Kirk from Metallica to tonight's chat. Hello Kirk!

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Hello everyone out there in Metalli-land, or Internet-land, Cyberspace, you know, whatever.

Sk8ergod16: How did you guys get the idea for S&M?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Michael Kaman basically approached us and asked us if we wanted to collaborate with the symphony. We're always looking for new and exciting ventures to embark on and we thought about it for half a second and said ‘yes.’

Hey_Joe: Kirk, how did you get the inspiration for writing older solo’s such as "Fade to Black" that have that ‘classical’ vibe?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Inspiration. My playing back then was based on everything that I knew up to that point. A lot of my ideas back then came from what I was playing. A lot of it had to do with what I was listening to, which was a lot of UFO and Hendrix, and I was taking lessons from Joe Satriani. It was a combination of all those things. It wasn't so much a classical approach as it was using the technique that I had up to that point. Also, it was our second album and I wasn't so conscious of repeating myself as I am now. The more albums you put out, the more difficult it is to do that.

metalman: Kirk, how do you get your Floyd Rose set up with low action?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I have this thing called a Trendsetter. It enables the Floyd Rose to sit at various angles to keep it from going out of tune. It lets the Floyd Rose go back to whatever position you set it at. It's a very valuable piece of equipment.

jenni2000: Is it true that you guys are spending a lot of time in the studio to work on a new album?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: No. Absolutely not. I mean, these last two Minneapolis shows are pretty much the end of the public Metallica for a while. We're going to take an extended break and reconvene at the end of this year and start getting songs ready and recording them. We'll probably start sometime at the end of the year.

Mistress_of_Puppets1: Is the Cliff ‘Em All video a bootleg or can it be bought in stores?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: You can buy that in the stores. That's been available since 1987. Yeah, I mean, you can still buy that. I don't think it's deleted. But you know, it was created from bootleg videos, so it might have that look to it.

dan: Kirk, how many guitars do you have?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I don't know - I haven't counted recently. I have a lot. The reason why I have a lot is because every guitar sounds different and serves a different function. It's helpful and necessary to have a lot of sounds available to you. It's like how a painter uses his palette - with all the different colors. It's like that with the guitars. It's helpful to have a lot of different guitars for a lot of different sounds.

Shawn: How good was the S&M project for the band spiritually?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I felt transcended from the whole experience. There's a lot of synergy there when you have 90 musicians playing on the same sheet of music. It's very spiritual.

TALLICA97: Will you guys be experimenting with 7 string guitars on any of your future albums?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: You know, it's a good question. You can achieve the same effects with a 6 string, you just have to know how to do it. Basically, a person uses a 7 string to be able to tune low. You can basically do the same thing with a 6 string. It achieves the same effect. We've been doing it since 1986, so it's nothing new to us. I don't think we need 7 string guitars.

Rich: Where did the idea come to use "Ecstasy of Gold" as a show opener?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: That actually came from our old management, when we were first signed to Megaforce records, our old manager said it would make a really great intro. And, of course, it did. It was one of the only things he was correct about. And it's been with us ever since.

jaspa: Kirk, what exercises do you recommend for being able to switch fingers from fret-to-fret faster? I'm in a punk band and I need to learn to play faster for better music.

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Well, I mean, it's not just your left hand, it's your right hand too. You need to practice alternative picking, which is an up-and-down motion on the strings. You also need to practice chromatic scales, which is one finger on a string and going octave to octave. That's the easiest exercise I can tell you without actually sitting down and teaching you. Also, practicing scales in general.

MetallicaFan4EVER: After all that you've accomplished is there anything that you wish you had done differently?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Yeah, I wish that we would have recorded ...And Justice For All better. At the time it seemed like an interesting concept. But that album just doesn't sound good to me nowadays. I love the songs, but the way it sounds is funky. Funky as in bad, not funky as in groovy.

Diem Baby: What was it like playing "Trapped Under Ice?"

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: It was great! The last time we played that was in Paris on my birthday years ago. We dropped it from the set because it just didn't sound good the way we played it. But when we played it the other night, it sounded great. I guess we're getting better at playing our music.

metalman: Kirk, sound-wise what are your favorite natural modes to use? Do you ever mess around with harmonic minor? What do you use?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Instead of harmonic minor, I use phyrgian dominant scales. Those are very close to harmonic minor scales. An example of that is the guitar solo in "Wherever I May Roam."

KathyWillow: "One" has some very Bach-esque progressions. Would you ever consider using a harpsichord in place of guitar?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: We already did! With the Symphony! *laughs* I like harp quite a bit - it's an amazing sounding instrument. I wouldn't discount using any of the symphonic instruments in our recordings now that we're used to it and have had so much experience with it.

wulemamoth: What’s your favorite way to destroy a guitar?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I feel guilty destroying guitars. It's a huge waste of a valuable means of expression, so I don't do that any more. My favorite way to do it would be with much gusto and enthusiasm and imagination.

a0: What was the best part of playing Woodstock ‘99?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Probably playing "Sandman" at the end of our set. It was a culmination for us of a long, long tour. That was the last date of a long tour, and after playing that song and it going down so well, I felt that we had accomplished something and we ended on the right note. I thought that was one of the coolest moments, playing "Sandman" at the end.

SpecialFX: Are there any plans for live TV broadcasts like the Reload, Rehearse, Request from MTV?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I'm sure in the future there will be. We have nothing slated in the immediate future, but eventually something will come around and we'll be filming something and releasing it, I'm sure. It's not the end for us, as far as that's concerned.

scott: Was the song "Fade to Black" written about anyone in general?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Not that I know of. I mean, that's more a James question, because he wrote the lyrics, but as far as I know, it isn't.

Metalliry: What kind of pedal do you use in the "Guitar and Bass Doodle" on Cunning Stunts?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: That would be a volume pedal, I think. I'm trying to think of the actual moment you're talking about. But it's a volume pedal that gives me the ability to do volume swells on each note.

SpecialFX: Is there any chance of a re-release of the Kill 'Em All 2 extra tracks? I really want it and have been unable to find it

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I think it's still available. You just have to look farther. If you can't find it, go on eBay. As far as I know, it's still available.

metal_ayngel: Kirk, what is the story behind "The Call of Ktulu?"

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Ktulu is a Lovecraft character. He's big and he's hulking and he's all-powerful and all-knowing. We thought it would be cool to name the song after him because the song is big and powerful and a huge piece of music.

TalikaMom: Kirk, what do you think of Motorhead being nominated for a Grammy for "Enter Sandman?"

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: I think it's pretty cool. They deserve a Grammy more than we do. For Motorhead to get a Grammy would be fucking great, regardless for whose song. He's been doing this more than us, so he deserves to be acknowledged.

mattallica: What’s the best way to go about writing dynamic guitar riffs?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: If I knew that answer, I probably wouldn't be here right now. I'd be out writing dynamic guitar riffs. You have to wait for that spark of inspiration. The moment could happen anytime, anywhere. You just have to be ready for it.

Fade to Black: Kirk, how old were you when you first started playing the guitar and what made you interested in playing?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: Well, I was 15 years old, and I loved Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, Aerosmith, and ZZ Top, and I felt that if I learned how to play their music, I'd become closer to them, I'd be unlocking some sort of mystery. When you learn how to play someone's music, it answers questions on a musical level, but it remains a mystery on other levels. I just felt that if I made their music, I'd be making a connection to them.

twec.com: twec.com would like to thank Kirk for taking time out before the Metallica show to chat. Any last words Kirk?

METALLICA – Kirk Hammett: That was a great parlay! You guys asked some great questions, and they were very different. Can't wait to do it again, man!

twec.com: twec.com would like to like to thank Kirk again for taking time out tonight to talk to all of the great Metallica fans. Metallica is getting ready to take the stage as we speak and Kirk apologizes for not being able to chat longer. Thanks again to all the fans that stopped by to chat tonight!