Metallica surprises fans with special electric set during AWMH livestream

Metallica fans watching the band's 'Helping Hands' benefit concert livestream Saturday got a pleasant surprise when the band closed its acoustic show with a fully electric second set.

'Helping Hands' had been advertised as an acoustic concert fundraiser for Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation. The affair was originally supposed to take place in March, but was postponed and eventually made virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're super-grateful to be a part of this, and glad you're here to witness it and be a part of it as well," James Hetfield said during one segment. "All your help is very much appreciated. And the fact that we get to play [is] a big bonus, right? We get to play, we get to employ some people here, we get to help out — it's a win-win-win everywhere."

Metallica hasn't performed a fully-electric set since filming its drive-in concert this past summer. It seems the band had the itch to plug in, and given the virtual nature of the event, no one was going to stop them.

After an eight-song acoustic set, the band returned from a break with electric guitars to perform a set of reimagined classics, including an electrified version of the acoustic arrangement of "Disposable Heroes" and a cover of The Animals' "House of the Rising Son."

On Friday, the day before the concert, Metallica announced a charity auction to coincide with the 'Helping Hands' benefit. The band put up for auction autographed gear and other Metallica items, which fans can bid on through this coming Friday.

You can watch previews of the first and second sets of the 'Helping Hands' benefit show via Metallica's YouTube channel.

The concert is still available to watch here via nugs.tv. You can stream it for 48 hours after purchase.

This article was first published on iheart.com and is republished here with permission