LONDON: Heavy rockers METALLICA have raised $200,000 (£133,333) to help their local community in California, by playing their first ever hometown concert.

The group played a sold-out show at the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael earlier this month (11Sep09), with fans paying up to $350 (£233) per ticket.

The money raised from the gig has gone towards the Marin Rocks Museum Project, an interactive museum of Marin music history which includes educational programs for young people in music and the arts, which is set to open next summer (10).

Drummer Lars Ulrich says, "We love Marin, and we don't get chances to make an imprint in our backyard as much as we'd like. And this just seemed like a perfect opportunity to get involved in something that had Marin stamped all over it."

Museum publicist Stephanie Clarke adds, "There has been nothing but positive reaction to everything about the concert. People are very excited."