The ESP Guitar Company

Metallica's Kirk Hammett playing an LTD TL-6 that was auctioned to benefit Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation. Photo by Brett Murray.

On November 3, Metallica did a concert at The Masonic, an iconic venue in San Francisco... but this was no regular Metallica show. The entire affair was a fundraising benefit for the band's All Within My Hands Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Metallica in 2017 to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band for years, as well as encourage participation from fans and friends. All funds raised via AWMH are donated to a cross-section of national and local charities.

There were two very special elements to the concert on November 3. First, Metallica played the set acoustically, which is a rare treat. Second, every instrument played that night was auctioned after the show to the highest bidder, with all the proceeds going to the AWMH Foundation. We're very happy to note that the LTD TL Series guitar that Kirk Hammett used that night was signed by all four members of the band, and ended up being auctioned for $16,866, an amount that should help the cause greatly, and speaks to the extraordinary generosity of Metallica fans.

Overall, the inaugural Helping Hands Concert and Auction raised over $1.3 million, with the funds being used to work with the foundation's partners at Feeding America and the American Association of Community Colleges as All Within My Hands continues to tackle the issues of hunger and workforce education and work to create sustainable communities.