James Hetfield praised his Metallica bandmates during an on-stage speech in Brazil last week, saying that their support “means the world to me”.

The frontman made the remarks while addressing the crowd at the band’s gig at the Estádio do Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Thursday (May 12).

Ahead of performing their song ‘Sad But True’, Hetfield spoke to the crowd by initially joking about the Metallica fan who recently gave birth during the band’s show in Curitiba, saying: “Maybe we’ll have a Metallica birthing section at our shows, especially in Brazil! It’s amazing, isn’t it? It’s crazy. We are so blessed.”

Hetfield then spoke candidly about receiving support from his bandmates prior to going on stage in Belo Horizonte.

“I’ve gotta tell you, I wasn’t feeling very good before I came out here,” the frontman said. “[I was] feeling a little bit insecure, like ‘I’m an old guy, can’t play anymore’. All this bullshit that I tell myself in my head.”

He then pointed to his bandmates: “So, I talked to these guys, and they helped me: as simple as that. They gave me a hug and said, ‘Hey, if you’re struggling on stage, we’ve got your back’. And I tell you, it means the world to me.”

As the crowd applauded, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich all ran up to Hetfield to embrace him in a group hug.

Hetfield then added to the audience: “Seeing you out there, I am not alone. I am not alone, and neither are you.”

Last month Metallica announced Rye The Lightning, a whisky that was crafted with the help of low hertz frequencies generated by the band’s music to vibrate the barrels.