About

Metallica recently asked me to create the poster for their Helping Hands concert. Of course, I said yes because Metallica is one of my favorite bands and the tightest live band I have ever seen! Plus, the concert benefits some great causes. This print celebrates triumph over adversity while acknowledging that life is fragile and it’s in our hands to build the world we want for ourselves and our brothers and sisters. I first heard Metallica in 1985 when a Charleston, South Carolina public radio show called Punk-O-Rama, which was on the air from 12-2 AM on Saturday nights, decided to do a speed metal show instead of the usual punk and hardcore. At the time, punk and metal fans were enemies and had rival camps like the Sharks and the Jets. When Punk-O-Rama opened with Metallica’s song “Fight Fire With Fire,” I was skeptical, but it burst into music that was so fast and heavy that it made me bounce off the walls! I was hooked immediately and picked up Metallica’s album Ride the Lightning, which featured the song “Fight Fire With Fire.” I loved all of Ride the Lightning and sought out other Metallica albums like Kill ‘Em All, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice For All. Metallica has had an amazing run of albums and continues to put out great records. How many bands have been making killer music for 40 years!? This Helping Hands poster is inspired by the colors of that cover as well as the song “Fade to Black.”
-Shepard

PRINT DETAILS:
Metallica Helping Hands. 18 x 24. Screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 500. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $75. A portion of the proceeds donated to All Within My Hands, a non-profit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica.