Metallica, Heavy Metal, the Red Cross & Us
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Metallica From Left to right: Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.
Our local Red Cross chapter was soliciting volunteers to participate in a Metallica- themed blood drive occurring through the end of the year at the local Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. The 45-year-old heavy metal band is still touring and has, in fact, a scheduled 24-show residency at Sphere here in Las Vegas entitled ‘Life Burns Faster’, from October 1, 2026 through mid-March 2027. Hmm.
Go ahead, ask me to name one of Metallica’s top hits or one of their albums. No idea. What about the name of just one member of the band? Ah…. I’m thinking. Nope… not a clue! Do I like heavy metal? Not so much. Does David? Not a chance. Did we sign up? Yup!
Some of the most popular Metallica albums. Image credit: Deviantart.com
According to Wiki, “ Metallica is one of the most commercially successful bands of all time. The band has released eleven studio albums, four live albums (including two performances with the San Francisco Symphony), twelve video albums, one cover album, two extended plays, 37 singles and 39 music videos. Metallica has won ten Grammy Awards from 26 nominations.” Chartmasters indicates they’ve sold ~185.2 million albums worldwide, and I was unable to name even one of their hits. Mercy, me!
To avoid embarrassment, I thought it might be prudent to learn a bit more about the band. First and foremost, why the heck is Red Cross teaming up with a 45-year-old heavy metal band? Well, a bit of egg on my face for even asking. It appears that the band is extremely generous and philanthropic. The band’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), was created in 2017 and supports local critical services wherever they’re playing, workforce education, and the fight against food insecurity, among other causes. I have a whole different view of the band now. I was humbled by all the good work they do.
The four-member band currently consists of founding members Lars Ulrich, drummer, and James Hetfield, lead vocalist, as well as long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. Founded in 1981, the band has been performing for 45 years, and all the band members are in their early 60s. That made me feel even better. They’re properly seasoned like us!
According to the American Red Cross, this 18-month-long campaign with Metallica and its All Within My Hands foundation has already collected 90,000 units of blood! As David noted, “That’s a tank full!” and a lot of lives saved. ‘Bleeding Me’, a song from their 1996 album, ‘Load’, also happens to be the theme of the blood drive initiative. #bleeding me… most appropriate! James Hetfield, lead vocalist of the group, was the first to donate!
Image from Metallica FB page
We made our way to the upscale Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. Truth be told, we’ve lived in Las Vegas for a decade and never been inside this mall. It’s huge, modern, classy, and the parking is free. The blood drive venue was next to Dillard’s on the second floor and easy to find. We donned our Metallica volunteer shirts and found our assigned spots. Scheduled donations began at noon, and there was a sizeable line waiting at the door when we opened at the stroke of twelve.
The Red Cross x Metallica Blood Donation Experience, sponsored by Delta Air Lines is at the Fashion Show Mall right on The Strip!
My assigned Red Cross volunteer job included ushering blood donors through an immersive “Tallica-themed pop-up, loaded with Metallica art and memorabilia, with the sounds of Sirius XM’s Maximum Metallica filling the air.” After donating, folks were directed into David’s area, the Delta Backstage Lounge, for snacks and a 15-min Metallica video developed in conjunction with the band, Red Cross, and Delta Airlines.
After noshing, I ushered them into my area where they had a chance to be pinball wizards on a Metallica-themed pinball machine and check out lots of Metallica memorabilia.
While waiting, we sampled the pinball machine. It was a hit with the donors!
The #1 exhibit was one of Lars Ulrich’s ‘purple sparkle’ Tama drum kits. Donors can sit behind the drum kit (No drumsticks available; DO NOT touch the drums!) for a photo opp. I took lots of pics and couldn’t resist posing for one myself.
Marcie on the drums!
Next in line, the opportunity to sign the huge Squindo-illustrated Red Cross/Metallica logo. Hundreds have already done this, and space for sigs is pretty limited. One donor asked if I could get him a ladder or let him stand on a chair. Unfortunately, no, but he managed to find a spot.
Every donor was more than happy to sign the 2026 ‘Bleeding Me’ logo which also appeared on the back of their t-shirt gifts.
Lastly, folks collected their Metallica swag, a T-shirt with the official logo and a Metallica guitar pick, and were thanked for their donations. I didn’t meet one donor who wasn’t happy, and feeling fine as they walked out the door.
So how did we do?
We were originally afraid we wouldn’t be knowledgeable enough to field questions from the folks coming through. It proved to be a non-issue since either folks knew nothing or they shared all the knowledge they had, and we took it all in. We won’t remember it, but we knew it long enough to share with others!
All in all, a great experience, other than my feet hurting after 3 hours without sitting. We met folks from all over Las Vegas and all over the country, even a couple from France! We’re all signed up for another round, and Mary and I plan to donate blood next week and get one of those neat t-shirts for ourselves.
If you’re interested in learning more or donating, it’s a nationwide initiative. “Each state’s Red Cross chapter runs its own drives, so you can join in your area by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/Metallica or calling 1‑800‑RED CROSS.” If you’re going to be in Las Vegas between now and mid-March, you can schedule your donation online. Walk-ins are also welcome.