Metallica’s lead guitarist Kirk Hammett treated fans to more than just stories at the Philadelphia stop of his ongoing book tour, Kirk Hammett The Collection: Live. Held on May 24th at The Fillmore, the event was part of a series celebrating Hammett’s new coffee table book, The Collection: Kirk Hammett Blabbermouth reported. 

During the discussion, Hammett was unexpectedly joined on stage by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who joined him for an impromptu performance that surprised the crowd. This performance highlighted the spirit of the duo’s “doodles” on recent Metallica tours, where the pair often perform stripped-down covers of classic songs from various genres, far outside the band’s usual heavy metal repertoire.

The Collection: Kirk Hammett was released globally through Gibson Publishing and is a deluxe, 400-page hardcover that explores Hammett’s storied guitar collection. The book, featuring photographs by photographer Ross Halfin, showcases rare instruments from Hammett’s 1979 Gibson Flying V to the legendary “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard. It also includes in-depth interviews and commentary from Hammett himself.

In a promotional video narrated by actor Jason Momoa, he said, “Every guitar has a story, and the thrill of finding the right one can be as electrifying as any song it will play. Collecting is an obsession, a passion, and a never ending quest for discovering the perfect tone. No one knows this more than Kirk Hammett.”

Upcoming tour stops for The Collection: Live include Tampa, Florida on June 7th and Denver, Colorado on June 28th, where fans can expect more behind-the-scenes stories and possibly even more surprise jams.

Aside from Hammett’s schedule being full of stops for his book tour, Metallica is also in the works of a project set to release June 13th. The project is a re-release of their five-time platinum sixth studio album titled Load.