Metallica asks for help in identifying kid in throwback photo

Metallica is asking for your help in identifying a kid featured in a throwback photo alongside James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

The photo was taken in 1996 by a Metallica fan named Vincent Pugliese, who ran into Hetfield and Ulrich at New York City’s Madison Square Garden while photographing a hockey game between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pugliese says he was outside the locker rooms when he noticed Hetfield and Ulrich were standing next to him. He then introduced himself and asked if he could take a photo of them. They agreed, though Pugliese says that Ulrich told him that because of “promotional reasons,” the photo couldn’t only feature members of Metallica. 

So, Pugliese turned to a kid wearing a Rangers shirt who also happened to be standing nearby and asked him if he’d want to be in the photo. The kid agreed, though Pugliese believes he didn’t have “any clue who they were.”

“We went on our merry ways, and every few years I think about this kid,” Pugliese says. “He’s never seen this picture because it was never published in any magazine. All these years later, Metallica is still one of the biggest bands in the world. I think it would be cool if he saw this.”

After coming across Pugliese’s story, Metallica reposted it to their Facebook page, adding, “C’mon everyone… let’s help Vincent finally get this pic to the young man in this photo! (…and we’re not talking about us!)”