Watching Mick Jagger face off with Bono and Bruce Springsteen backing up Billy Joel may have given fans at the two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concerts a thrill, but the musicians onstage got a jolt from their all-star team-ups, too. Case in point: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who gushed to Rolling Stone backstage in the On 3 gifting suite that his band’s performance with Ozzy Osbourne, Ray Davies and Lou Reed was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We really like how things are sounding,” he said just hours before the big show. “You’re going to see me with the biggest shit-eating grin from here to here tonight when I’m onstage. One of my favorite moments was when Lou Reed turned around to the monitor guy and said, ‘Hey, I need more Kirk Hammett in my monitor!’ …. Lou Reed wants to hear more of me! That’s right on.”

More Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

• Mick Jagger Joins U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin at the Rock Hall’s Epic 25th Anniversary Bash
• Night One in Photos: Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN and More
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Turns 25 With All-Star Sets From Springsteen, Wonder and More
• Photos: Backstage at the Rock Hall 25th Anniversary Concerts
• Morello, Raitt, Crosby Pay Tribute to Fellow Legends Backstage at First Rock Hall Concert

For complete Rock Hall coverage, visit our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page.