Metallica fans in Australia are getting a rare chance to sit face-to-face with one of metal’s most influential guitarists, as Kirk Hammett heads to Sydney for a special live conversation celebrating his new book The Collection: Kirk Hammett. The event, hosted by respected Australian music journalist Sean Sennett, will take place at the State Library of New South Wales on Friday 14 November.
Hammett, known globally for shaping the sound of thrash metal with Metallica, will take the audience through the stories behind his extraordinary guitar collection and his four-decade legacy with the biggest metal band on the planet. The Sydney appearance marks the launch of his new 400-page coffee table book, released via Gibson Publishing, which dives deep into the instruments that have defined his career, from his early days in the Bay Area metal scene to stadium tours with Metallica and sales exceeding 125 million albums worldwide.
The Collection: Kirk Hammett is described as the most detailed visual and historical document of Hammett’s guitars ever produced, featuring exclusive photography by rock icon Ross Halfin from sessions shot in Hawaii and Los Angeles. The book includes rare archival imagery, as well as new interviews conducted by Gibson Publishing’s Chris Vinnicombe and brand director Mark Agnesi. Fans will also find detailed stories behind legendary instruments including Hammett’s 1979 Gibson Flying V and “Greeny”, the storied 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard previously owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore.
Hammett’s guitar journey began long before joining Metallica. As a founding member of Exodus, Hammett helped craft the blueprint for Bay Area thrash, even coming up with the band’s name before leaving to replace Dave Mustaine in Metallica in 1983. Within months he was recording Kill ‘Em All, the album that changed heavy music forever and launched Metallica into metal’s elite. Across landmark albums including Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, …And Justice For All, Metallica, and Death Magnetic, Hammett’s lead guitar work has become a defining part of the genre’s evolution.
His passion for collecting is well known. In 2012, Noise11 reported on Hammett’s first publishing venture, Too Much Horror Business – The Kirk Hammett Collection, a book dedicated to his lifelong love of horror memorabilia. That fascination eventually led to his own toy company, Kirk Von Hammett Toys, and a touring horror exhibition titled Kirk’s Crypt, first unveiled at Metallica’s Orion Music + More festival. Now, instead of movie monsters, Hammett is shining a spotlight on the guitars that have inspired his music and career.
A teaser video for the book features actor and longtime Metallica fan Jason Momoa, who says, “Every guitar has a story, and the thrill of finding the right one can be as electrifying as any song it will play.” For Hammett, that lifelong pursuit is not just collecting instruments, but channeling them into some of the most enduring metal recordings ever made.
The Sydney event places Hammett in conversation with Sean Sennett, the acclaimed Australian writer and broadcaster known for interviewing the world’s biggest musicians, filmmakers, and artists. Sennett has spoken with everyone from David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen to Bono and Paul McCartney, and his seventh-season podcast Time To Talk continues to spotlight leading voices in music and culture.
Kirk Hammett, ‘The Collection’: Live
Hosted by Sean Sennett
Venue: State Library of New South Wales, Sydney
Date: Friday 14 November
Time: Doors 5pm, event 6pm to 7.30pm
Tickets: Limited, on sale now
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