“Enter Sandman,” exit politics.
At a recent performance at the Sphere in Las Vegas, James Hetfield, the lead vocalist of Metallica, made it clear that the band was there to play music and not to share political views.
‘Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls**t.’
Nothing else matters
Metallica has begun a residency at the Sphere, scheduled to continue until March 2027. During one of their shows, Hetfield took a moment to express gratitude to the audience for making the effort to attend.
“Unless you live in Vegas, you’ve come a long way to spend some time with Metallica. We really appreciate it,” he stated in a clip that went viral. “Thanks for your travels, the money spent, and the time taken to come and celebrate with us.”
He then specified what the fans could look forward to.
“I just got to say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls**t, OK? We are here — no bulls**t — to forget about all the outside s**t, OK? Metallica’s agenda is love, energy, and heavy music, baby!”
Hetfield, who is 63, has maintained this stance over the years, often opting not to share his political thoughts, even when prompted directly.
Ride the lightning
In a 2017 interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Hetfield was asked about his thoughts on President Donald Trump, who was then in his first term.
“Everyone has one, but I keep mine to myself,” he responded, as translated. “I am an artist, a singer who plays guitar in a band. I hate politics. I don’t want to talk about it. It separates people, and I want to connect them with music.”
He was concerned that expressing political opinions might alienate some fans.
“If I say ‘I love Trump’ or ‘I hate Trump,’ someone might say, ‘Then I don’t like his music anymore,’ which is pretty silly,” he remarked.
Shill ’em all
While Hetfield has opted to keep politics out of his shows, other musicians have embraced it. For instance, Bruce Springsteen recently criticized Trump and ICE agents during a concert in Maryland. Paramore’s Hayley Williams has also been vocal about her disdain for Trump supporters and voiced harsh opinions at her shows.
Rapper Macklemore even sparked controversy during Ed Sheeran’s tour with remarks advocating for Palestine, leading to objections from venue operators and his eventual removal from the tour.
Sheeran, who indicated that the choice was the promoter’s, emphasized his own reluctance to introduce politics into his performances, noting that attendees typically don’t come to his shows for political discourse.
It appears Hetfield shares this viewpoint.
