Music
The rockers were forced to scrap a concert in Stockholm after Hetfield was taken to hospital on Saturday evening complaining of stomach pains and dehydration.
Drummer Lars Ulrich told the 16,000-strong audience that the band were "truly, truly, truly sorry" but promised that they would reschedule the cancelled performance.
"As you can clearly see, one of the members of Metallica isn’t with us up here on stage tonight. Unfortunately, I have to let you know that James has had a really, really, bad day and he’s on his way to the hospital right now," he said.
He added: "Trust me, none of you guys wanna hear me, [bassist] Rob [Trujillo] or [guitarist] Kirk [Hammett] sing."
A representative for the group said that Hetfield has now returned to the US with his bandmates. It is thought that the concert will be rescheduled for May.
More: James Hetfield, Music
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