Kirk Hammett Falls Off Stage Days After Anti-Swift
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- Kirk Hammett wore a shirt reading "Taylor Swift Is a CIA Psyop" at Metallica's June 13 concert in Budapest, and photos of the garment quickly drew backlash from Swifties on Reddit and social media.
- Hammett slipped off-stage during Metallica's June 19 show in Dublin while performing "Seek & Destroy," falling guitar-first into the audience.
- Fans in the crowd helped pull Hammett back onto the stage, and the band missed only a few chords before continuing the song.
- Hammett posted an Instagram Story joking about the tumble, writing "Slip and Destroy!!!" over footage of the miscue.
- Hammett has not publicly addressed the "Psyop" shirt scandal or commented on whether Swiftie backlash played any role in his fall.
Why it matters: The incident ties a viral fanbase feud to a live-stage mishap, with Swifties' organized social media reaction meeting a very public physical pratfall six days later. For Metallica, a six-day gap between a fan-enraging wardrobe choice and an on-stage stumble at a Dublin show is exactly the kind of storyline that fuels tabloid coverage and meme cycles, even if Hammett has stayed silent on any connection.
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