Watch Sammy Hagar, James Hetfield, John Mayer, Joe Satriani and Melissa Etheridge perform Piece of My Heart in new pro-shot footage from 2016

Professionally shot footage from 2016’s Acoustic-4-A-Cure concert has been released, which sees an all-star lineup of John Mayer, Joe Satriani, James Hetfield, Sammy Hagar and more join forces for a spine-tingling acoustic rendition of Piece Of My Heart.

Though the performance – which also features Melissa Etheridge, Pat Monahan, Tommy Lee and Kris Kristofferson – initially took place five years ago, it’s the first time high-definition video and audio footage has been shared with the public.

Seeing the rare sight of Mayer and Satriani wielding acoustic guitars alongside one another is made even more of a spectacle with Hetfield clapping along.

Hearing legends of the heavy metal, hard rock, blues, and pop worlds perform the funk/soul song – originally written in 1967 by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns for Erma Franklin, and performed by Janis Joplin in 1968 – proves to be one unmissable listening experience.

And, while it’s easy to get caught up with watching the stars on stage – it is a pretty ambitious crossover, after all – there’s an abundance of tasty guitar playing on show, too.

Etheridge, who assumes lead vocal duties, calls upon Mayer to deliver the first solo of the track – “I want John to play, you’ve got so much soul in you, sweetheart,” she says – who answers the call by unleashing a bend-heavy lead effort. 

Hetfield looks suitably impressed, and Satch’s own solo merely serves to up the ante, thanks to some choice bends and pentatonic passages.

There are some tasty instruments on display, too. Mayer can be seen with what looks like his Martin OMJM slung over his shoulder, while Etheridge can be spotted playing an Ovation 12-string. Satch, meanwhile, opts for his single-cut Ibanez JSA5VB signature acoustic.

The 2016 edition of the Acoustic-4-A-Cure concert was the third installment of the annual event, which was initially established by James Hetfield and Sammy Hagar to support the Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.