Halloween might be a little over four months away, but that hasn’t stopped Wes Borland from getting into the spirit of things by cosplaying as James Hetfield while supporting Metallica on tour.
The Limp Bizkit electric guitar titan has been taking part in Metallica’s M72 world tour, and to celebrate the final stop of the current run, Borland donned a curly blonde wig as he comedically cosplayed as an ’80s-era James Hetfield.
It was an exemplary effort from Borland, who – along with ripped jeans, a classic Metallica tee, sweatbands around his wrists, and white high-top trainers – donned a white Jackson Kelly to troll Hetfield’s own iconic Explorer-style ESP
The Kelly – which tipped its hat to the metal guitar Hetfield frequently played throughout the 1980s – also has “EET PHO” scrawled on its body.
This is a nifty reference to Hetfield’s similarly-shaped 1987 ESP MX220, which has the charming words “EET FUK” written on it. However, a skull mask ensures that the ever-effervescent Borland still has some of his own flair in the look.
Speaking to Playboy in 2001, Hetfield had said, “Limp Bizkit seems a little cartoony to me”, and while that opinion may have changed 24 years on, Borland’s comical cosplay probably does compound that sentiment a little.
In related news, Borland, who released a signature Tonality plugin with STL Tones last year, has spoken about how his beloved Jackson King V guitar started life as a factory reject, but has since become so much more.
Gibson, meanwhile, recently sent Metallica fans into a frenzy in December when it teased a new signature run of Hetfield’s Explorer. Sadly, no such run is yet to materialize, as it turns out it was a special one-off build for Jason Mamoa.
Metallica's hard-working techs have also given an eye-opening insight into the gear needed for the tour. The band are currently touring with 64 guitars, and 36 need to be shred-ready at any given moment. They also go through a ridiculous 6,000 guitar picks each night. A whopping 800 locals are also employed to support the running of each show. And now 1x blonde wig can be added to the band's sizable itinerary.
