Latest news with #RobertTrujillo
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica's Robert Trujillo Thanks Ozzy Osbourne for His ‘Heart and Soul'
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo celebrated Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath as 'the soundtrack to our lives' in a new tribute to the late metal great. 'Ozzy was a humble man and sometimes so honest it hurt but his sense of humor made everything absolutely amazing,' Trujillo wrote on Instagram, adding: 'We're all so thankful for his heart and soul. Ozzy and Black Sabbath were and still are the soundtrack to our lives. The inspiration they gave us is beyond words. The first real alternative rock band, in my opinion.' More from Rolling Stone Zakk Wylde Honors 'Older Brother' Ozzy Osbourne: 'He Was So Easy to Get Along With' Ozzy Osbourne Funeral Procession Will March Through the Streets of Birmingham Geezer Butler Recalls Final Gig With Ozzy Osbourne in Touching Tribute: 'A Born Entertainer' Trujillo spent several years playing in Osbourne's band, starting in the late Nineties, though their relationship dates back to the beginning of the decade. As Trujillo noted in his post, it was Osbourne who encouraged Infectious Grooves — the supergroup Trujillo started with his Suicidal Tendencies bandmate Mike Muir and others — to tour just as they were starting out. '[I]t wasn't even really a band, just some fun songs we had recorded,' Trujillo said. 'We weren't ready to hit the road, but he made us step up and make it happen.' Osbourne also 'loved' Infectious Grooves' song 'Therapy,' Trujillo wrote, and later contributed vocals to the version recorded for the band's 1991 debut album. '[T]hat really kicked it all off for Infectious in the '90s,' Trujillo said. 'He actually demanded we open for him on the 'Theater of Madness' tour. He'd say,' 'I'm your best friend Rob, I fucking love the bass and the funkier and heavier the better!'' Trujillo called Osbourne 'the gateway,' as well as 'the conduit for so many new relationships both creative collaborations and real, lasting friendships.' Those included his friendships with fellow Osbourne bandmembers Joe Holmes and Mike Bordin, who later became the godfathers to Trujillo's two children. As for the time he spent playing with Osbourne, Trujillo wrote, 'Touring with Ozzy and Zakk [Wylde] was always a wild adventure. Those two together… it was a crazy, awesome rollercoaster.' Trujillo ended his note by saying, 'Now it's time to pay our respects, share our love, and offer our support to Sharon and the family. It's heartbreaking but we know Ozzy gave us everything he had in his final days.' He also reflected on Metallica's appearance at Osbourne's farewell concert earlier this month, saying, I'm so honored that Lars, James, Kirk, and I (Metallica) got to celebrate with him, to share our music and Sabbath's music on such a special day in Birmingham. Being part of that meant so much to us.' Trujillo's tribute to Osbourne follows a statement previously issued by all of Metallica after Osbourne's death last week. The group called Osbourne a 'hero, icon, pioneer, inspiration, mentor, and, most of all, friend,' adding, 'Ozzy and Sharon believed in us and transformed our lives and careers. He taught us how to play in the big leagues while at the same time being warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning Will Be the ‘Most Important Day' in Heavy Metal History, Tom Morello Teases
Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler does not hide his amusement — and perhaps bemusement — when asked if the Back to the Beginning mega-concert scheduled for July 5 in the band's home town of Birmingham, England, will truly be, as advertised, the final stage appearance by the original quartet, as well as by frontman Ozzy Osbourne. 'With this band, I have given up trying to predict a 'last ever' performance,' Butler tells Billboard. 'Every time I have stated 'never again,' something comes up, like this Villa Park gig.' More from Billboard Metallica's Robert Trujillo: Playing Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning Fest Is the 'Closing of a Chapter' Bad Bunny's 'NUEVAYol' Video Arrives on Fourth of July With Pro-Immigrant Message: 'Together We Are Stronger' BLACKPINK Is 'Ready to Jump' in What Looks to Be a New Music Teaser: Listen It's certainly true that this is not the first time Sabbath and Osbourne as a solo artist have hung the farewell banner on an enterprise; the former's last tour was even dubbed The End. But there's a real acceptance that due to age and especially Osbourne's well-documented health issues — including Parkinson's disease and emphysema — Back to the Beginning will be the real end to a landmark career that began in 1968 as Earth and is widely accepted as the progenitor for all that the world knows as heavy metal. 'It's incredible, but it's also sad because this is the final show for them, and that's definite,' notes Robert Trujillo, who played bass for Osbourne from 1996 to 2003 before joining Metallica, who is part of the Back to the Beginning bill. And Sharon Osbourne — who is married to Ozzy, has managed him since he first went solo in 1979 and has also handled Sabbath — promises that 'there's no way on God's Earth' there will be more. 'We're done,' she declares. 'I've been doing this since I was 15, and I'm done. We just want to live our life and do what we want to do and not have to follow an itinerary anymore.' Sabbath, who is reuniting with original drummer Bill Ward (he dropped out of the band acrimoniously in 2012), and Osbourne will certainly be going out in style on July 5. Similar to the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert back in 1992 in London, they'll be joined by a who's-who roster of metal and hard rock luminaries such as Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons. Also on the docket are Sammy Hagar, Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Ghost's Tobias Forge, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst and former Osbourne guitarists Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee. Musical director Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine promises there will be 'a few unadvertised global, international superstars that people will be very, very happy to see.' Actor Jason Momoa will serve as emcee, and proceeds — including from a global livestream (tickets via the event's website) — will go to Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorns Children's Hospice. Ozzy has also contributed his DNA to 10 cans of Liquid Death Iced Tea, which will be sold for $450 apiece. 'The goal from day one was very, very simple — to make it the greatest day, the most important day in the history of heavy metal music,' says Morello, who's predicting the show, which begins at 3 p.m. in Birmingham and 10 a.m. ET, will last about 10 hours. 'There's never gonna be a dull moment. We've unearthed some incredible footage of things and people that no one's ever seen, and a lot of surprises in a lot of other areas, too.' Sabbath's Butler adds, 'It has been overwhelmingly gratifying to have so many major bands showing their love for this band, and willingly doing it all for charity. We were always hated by the music press, but the people that matter — the fans and other musicians — have been overwhelmingly supportive of Sabbath and were always proud to acknowledge our influence on them.' Morello was approached more than a year ago by the Osbournes with the idea for the concert. 'It was my idea,' Sharon says, 'because [Ozzy's] one regret was he didn't get the chance to say thank you to his fans before he finished his world tour. We were in the middle of his [2018 No More Tours 2] world tour, his retirement tour; we'd only done about nine months of the tour and he got sick.' Osbourne has made only three public stage appearances since the end of 2018: with Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi at the Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Birmingham on Aug. 8, 2022; at the NFL Kickoff a month later in Inglewood, Calif.; and at last October's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, where he sat in a throne while being feted by another all-star array of musical friends, many of whom are part of Back to the Beginning. But, Sharon continues, 'He kept saying, 'It's my one regret' and 'I want a chance to really say thank you.' And this is what we thought would be the best way to do it. It's a celebration of Ozzy and Sabbath and the music. ' Morello says curating the event has been 'a labor of love,' even among the machinations 'of figuring out who's gonna play, what they're gonna play, what order they're gonna play in.' Few arms had to be twisted — 'You call up folks and say, 'Would you like to play at the last Black Sabbath show ever?' people pick up the phone,' Morello notes — though Wolfgang Van Halen had to drop out due to logistics of tour commitments back in North America, and Scorpions were locked into a 60th anniversary concert in Hanover, Germany, which also includes Judas Priest. And Sharon — who will join her family at the Birmingham Comic Con July 12-13 — has revealed that one band was disinvited because it 'wanted to make a profit, and it's not the time to make a profit. After the show I'll let everybody know who it was. I think people will be shocked.' Having Ward back in the Sabbath lineup was also key to the event, according to all concerned. 'It had to be the original four of us or nothing — otherwise, it would be pointless,' Butler says. 'I sincerely hope people go away happy to have seen a great final performance from us.' The four musicians were presented with Birmingham Freedom of the City scrolls and medals on June 28. Morello adds, 'Having Bill Ward play is really, really important. He was the guy who is playing on all those records that created the genre of heavy metal music, and one of the greatest drummers of all time. 'The show is back to the beginning,' Morello continues. 'They're playing in the soccer stadium that is literally a block and half from where half the band grew up where they could hear the cheer of the crowd when they couldn't afford a ticket. So for the four of them to be back home in Birmingham, where the original heavy metal was forged, is going to be a special thing.' When the dust — or pyrotechnics — settle, meanwhile, Morello hopes Back to the Beginning will have told a story that pays tribute to both Osbourne and Black Sabbath. 'While it's universally accepted that Black Sabbath is the greatest metal band of all time,' Morello – who's releasing his topical new single 'Pretend You Remember Me' on July 10 — explains, 'I think that the world doesn't really get that it's one of the most important musical artists of all time. The DNA of Black Sabbath is everywhere, in every stage, from every pop, country stage show, in every Lady Gaga performance. Every band from the '90s era has at least one dude who grew up learning Black Sabbath songs, from Rage [Against the Machine] to Tool to Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam — all those bands. It was very much in our DNA. 'So the hope here is really to give those guys the celebration that their careers deserve, but also to let the world know that Black Sabbath stands among the all-time titans of rock n' roll.' There is, of course, great excitement from the Back to the Beginning participants, and even from those who will be watching from afar, and many were happy to share their expectations and reasons for being part of the day. The Smashing Pumpkins was managed for a time by Sharon Osbourne, and despite an acrimonious parting, frontman Billy Corgan says that 'we made our peace years ago,' and even hosted her on his podcast, The Magnificent Others, which is when she invited him to be part of Back to the Beginning. 'I was stunned and very honored,' says Corgan, who's expected to be part of a Boys From Illinoize performance with fellow Chicagoland natives Morello and Adam Jones of Tool. 'When you look at the bill, you could argue this might be the greatest one-day lineup in the history of rock n' roll. It's just crazy who's gonna be there, It's such a beautiful story — even their years apart, the acrimony, the fighting, the silliness, and here they are, home together, even with Bill [Ward] playing drums. To think they're gonna go out on their musical shield together — I think it's so beautiful.' Corgan — who co-wrote and played on the track 'Black Oblivion' on Tony Iommi's 2000 album Iommi — maintains that 'Sabbath is probably my favorite band of all time' and recalls taking some lumps from the alt-rock world for championing the group. 'No joke — there was a fanzine interview from 1988 and they asked us who we listen to and I mention Sabbath, and the girl starts making fun of me,' Corgan says. 'Back then it wasn't cool to like Sabbath, right? But I think their worth has been proven. It's so durable, so influential — it's mind-boggling, the influence. 'What I really look forward to is not only seeing them play, but I know how much they mean to the Metallicas and the Slayers of the world. Even they'll be in a different emotional range that day. It'll be amazing for all of us.' Tool's Maynard James Keenan got hooked into Sabbath when a cool aunt gave him copies of Black Sabbath and Joni Mitchell's Blue during the same weekend. 'I was listening to all the garbage that my [other] aunts and uncles brought me, like the DiFranco Family and Osmond Brothers and stuff,' shares the Tool frontman. 'So on a nice Saturday morning, at my grandmother's house watching monster movies on TV, she turned on Black Sabbath, and it was all uphill from there.' Keenan, who sang 'Crazy Train' during Ozzy Osbourne's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last October in Cleveland, says he's a fan of both Sabbath and Osbourne's solo work. 'Blizzard of Ozz, I was in high school when it came out and it was awesome 'cause I hadn't heard from him in awhile. Back then we didn't have Internet so we didn't know what was going on, and out of nowhere you get Blizzard of Ozz and it was like, 'Hallelujah!' It was great. It's just watching an artist progress and seeing what their journey is.' He has 'mixed feelings' about honoring Osbourne and Sabbath, and helping to usher them to what's said to be a final end to their careers. 'It makes you sad, because you want him to be able to do it forever,' Keenan explains. 'So I'm honored to be able to step up, having been called to come do it, but at the same time, sad.' Halestorm's Lzzy Hale started listening to Black Sabbath when she was 'around 11 or 12 years old' — ironically via the early '80s Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules albums, when the late Ronnie James Dio fronted the band and Osbourne was beginning his solo career. 'Then I traced the map back to the beginning and fell in love with Masters of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, etc. … Black Sabbath is how I define heavy music. Also, the spelling of my name would not be spelled L-Z-Z-Y without the legend of Ozzy. As more time goes by, I find myself rediscovering all the ways these men have influenced who I am today.' Hale says she 'fully reverted to my inner teenager and couldn't believe it was real' when Halestorm 'got an email asking if we'd like to be involved in this event.' She's also the only woman on the bill, a distinction she does not take lightly. 'I am so incredibly humbled to … be the woman representing all of the women who were raised on this music,' she says. 'I've never thought of rock or metal being a man or woman's game. It doesn't matter what gender you are. If you want to be a lifer like Black Sabbath, you have to be willing to give your life to it, break through the illusion of rules and spit in the face of adversity. This is the path they carved for all of us, and we are all Sabbath's children.' Slayer's Kerry King, who was something of a latecomer to Black Sabbath, picked up on Heaven and Hell. 'I was aware of 'Paranoid' 'cause that was a hit on the radio, and I knew about Ozzy, but I didn't know why,' the guitarist recalls. 'Maybe I was too sheltered to be into Sabbath. But once I got Heaven and Hell, I did my backwards homework and the stuff with Ozzy on it, and there it was, y'know?' The other members of Slayer are kindred spirits in their regard for Sabbath, of course, and King is confident that the band's late co-founder Jeff Hanneman, who passed away in 2013, would be 'super proud' to be part of Back to the Beginning with the band. 'He was so subdued and lackadaisical to fame that it's hard to say,' King notes. 'But in my opinion, I think he would be super stoked as well.' King has been touring with his own band since last year's release of his first solo album, From Hell I Rise, also featuring Iron Maiden songs in his set. Choosing a Sabbath tune for Back to the Beginning (he won't reveal which one) was 'a lot of fun,' but frustrating. 'I certainly wasn't dragging my feet, but by the time we got around to picking a song, all the ones you might expect us to do were taken,' he says. 'So I really dove in on my homework and found a couple of appropriate songs and ran 'em by Tom Araya [Slayer bassist and vocalist]: 'Are you cool with these?' Then I picked one and it was available, so we took it.' For Charlie Benante — who will be doing double-duty at Back to the Beginning on drums for both Anthrax and Pantera — anything related to Black Sabbath brings back a semi-traumatic occasion during his childhood that he can laugh about now. 'My sister would take me to the record store,' he remembers, 'and one time I bought this Black Sabbath T-shirt with an iron-on of the cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I brought it home and my mother flipped out 'cause it had '666' on it. She made my sister take me back to the story and return it. I had to stand there with her in humiliation.' Benante will feel nothing but pride in Birmingham, however. 'I'm just looking forward to being there and paying my respects to the guys who really turned a kid from the Bronx into what I became.' Both of Benante's bands have recorded Sabbath songs over the years, he notes; Anthrax covered 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' on its 1987 EP I'm the Man, while Pantera has logged renditions of 'Planet Caravan' — which Benante says 'is probably the most mellow song that'll be played that day' — for its 1984 album Far Beyond Driven and 'Electric Funeral' for 2000's Nativity In Black II Sabbath tribute album. Each band, he says, has a different way of approaching Sabbath's aesthetic. 'With Anthrax it's a little different 'cause Joey [Belladonna] is a different singer than Philip [Anselmo]; Joey can sing really high, so he goes for those notes Ozzy went for, and Philip takes it down to a lower register,' Benante explains. 'And Pantera lays back a little more into the groove of it. It's two completely different sounds, but it's the same, if you know what I mean. It's Sabbath.' Lamb of God frontman Randall Blythe has no tolerance for any skepticism applied to Back to the Beginning. 'Some people are like, 'Oh, let him retire. Sharon's just trying to get money,'' he says. 'No. F–k you. Ozzy wants to do this. Let him sing. He loves doing this, let him do his thing one last time. Let him sit there and be honored by all of us, 'cause we came from him. All of us have Black Sabbath's DNA in our music. They are the tree from which we have fallen.' Lamb of God has history with both Sabbath and Osbourne, on the bill with the former during the 2004 Ozzfest tour and opening for Osbourne in 2007 (and also touring that same year with the Dio-fronted Sabbath reincarnation as Heaven & Hell). 'So be asked to do [Back to the Beginning] is an incredible honor,' Blythe says. 'This will be the last one. It's not like the endless Kiss tour. This is it, and I think everybody, all the bands are pretty emotional about it. We want to go and give them the best send-off as possible and just show respect and thank them.' Under any other circumstances, Judas Priest would be there for its fellow Brummies in person. But a previously scheduled slot for Scorpions' 60th anniversary concert in Hanover, Germany, proved an insurmountable obstacle. 'When Sharon reached out, she was aware we were doing Scorpions,' Priest frontman Rob Halford says. 'She wanted me to fly back and forth between the two. I would've loved to have done that, but it was just too risky. We've been best friends with Scorpions since they began, just like we've been best friends with Ozzy and Sabbath since they began. So it's all understood. We'll be there in spirit.' And via a tribute video, according to Halford. 'I shall probably stream the show while I'm singing on stage' — he breaks into song, singing 'breaking the law, breaking the law' — ''Oh, Ozzy's just come on!'' Halford says with a laugh. 'It just reinforces the importance of Ozzy and Sabbath in our world of music. All these massive bands love them so much they're just running to this event, just to show much they mean to those artists, their importance and their value and they're contribution is absolutely gigantic. It's a big deal.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Metallica's ‘Enter Sandman' Reaches An Incredible Longevity Milestone
Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' celebrates 700 weeks on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, becoming ... More the band's longest-charting hit by far. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: (L-R) Robert Trujillo, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica visit SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show' at SiriusXM Studios on April 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor SiriusXM) More than a decade ago, Billboard introduced the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, and since then, Metallica has appeared on the tally fairly consistently. The beloved band has collected nearly two dozen smashes on the list, which measures the top-selling tracks in the hard rock style throughout the U.S. on platforms like iTunes and Amazon. Some of them have sometimes spent a year or more as bestsellers, and one title stands out as the group's most successful by far. 'Enter Sandman' has now racked up 700 weeks on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart. It's rare for any tune to earn hundreds of stays on any Billboard ranking – that kind of showing is usually reserved for albums – especially one focused entirely on pure purchases, which typically dwindle shortly after a track's initial promotional period. A handful of cuts in any genre manage to break that mold and become never-ending bestsellers — and 'Enter Sandman' is one of those lucky few. The tune is far and away Metallica's longest-running smash on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales list. No other track from the band has reached triple-digit frames yet. 'Nothing Else Matters' is close, though. As it returns this time around at No. 9, it earns its ninetieth stay on the tally. In time, it will surely become another 100-week winner, though by then, 'Enter Sandman' will likely have continued adding to its cumulative total. 'Enter Sandman' has been present on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales list for so long that it has spent more time on the roster than all of Metallica's other smashes combined. That roundup includes several tracks that lived on the list for months, such as 'One,' 'Master of Puppets,' 'Hardwired,' and several others. This week, Metallica nearly recaptures the throne on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales tally, as 'Enter Sandman' holds at No. 2. It's kept from ruling only by 'Fight Like a Girl,' the brand new collaboration between Evanescence and which debuts atop the ranking. No matter how fans consume hard rock music, Metallica's tune is a winner. 'Enter Sandman' also holds at its all-time high of No. 3 on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs tally this week.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica's James Hetfield Gets Candid About His Own Personal Growth as Band Screens New Documentary
A new documentary, 'Metallica Saved My Life,' explores the decades-long relationship between the band and their devoted fanbase After the screening, the band members spoke during a Q&A session "The fans mean as much to us as the music," bassist Robert Trujillo tells PEOPLEIn the new documentary Metallica Saved My Life, which premiered at New York City's Tribeca Festival this week, fans from all over the world tell poignant stories about how the legendary heavy metal band's music impacted them, especially through times of personal challenge and struggle. Those feelings are also relatable to Metallica, including singer and guitarist James Hetfield, who previously spoke about his insecurity and stint in rehab in 2019. 'When I get up on stage, I feel so much more comfortable up there than I do in regular life a lot of the times,' Hetfield told The New Yorker writer Amanda Petrusich during a post-screening Q&A with the other members of Metallica — drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — on Wednesday evening, June 11, at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. 'I feel like I'm so easily able to be me with these fans,' Hetfield, 61, continued, 'and the more I'm me, the more they like it. It's just so opposite of how I was brought up. Being yourself wasn't always welcomed for some reason. But speaking my truth up there and other people understanding that truth, the four of us have gone through so much together, and we care about this a lot because a lot is still happening for us even into our fourth decade as a band. It's gotten better every decade.' He also acknowledged that his recovery changed the way he thought about making music. 'I've learned so much about myself and other people," he said, "on how to live life better and to not take things completely seriously and to be on stage and be yourself. We get to do that. I got the best job in the world. The end.' Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, Metallica Saved My Life examines the decades-long relationship between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group and their devoted global fanbase from America to Japan to Botswana. The film explores how Metallica's music forged a sense of community, shaped people's identities and bonds, and — as the title suggests – saved lives. 'It's been brewing for a few years,' Ulrich, 61, tells PEOPLE at the film premiere. 'There's such an incredible diversity among the fans and so many different stories and so many different worlds that they all come from and that they all inhabit. We thought to share that diversity would be a lot of fun, and to celebrate the fans and to scream from the rooftops about who they are and kind of turn the spotlight a little bit away from us and onto them because they're Metallica as much as we are.' 'For me, I'm touched by a lot of almost everything in there,' Trujillo, 60, says about the stories told in the movie. 'There are some highlight moments in there that are more on the international level and how we're touching people in areas of the world that you can't imagine. Again, the fans mean as much to us as the music, as everything we do. We're interconnected and that goes to certain parts of the world and it's a very powerful thing to have in our lives actually.' Like Metallica Saved My Life, the post-screening Q&A also delved into the personal in addition to the music, such as how much the fans have meant to the members of Metallica and the importance of staying grounded after coming out of touring, 'I like to put myself in situations and around people where it's like an instant equalization and it just knocks me off the pedestal that I might've been on for the last three or four weeks,' Hammett, 62, said during the talk. 'That's usually putting a surfboard in the water, going down the beach, surfing, getting beat up by the ocean. [It] instantly just puts me down to earth and just brings me back down to instantly feeling that I'm just like everyone else.' After 44 years, Metallica is still busy performing live on stage as their M72 tour recently extended to dates in Europe next year. As told in the new movie, being a Metallica fan who goes to their shows is akin to being part of a family. Hetfield said he enjoys seeing the eyes of the audience while on stage. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'We got older and so did our fans and our fans started having kids,' he said. 'We see three generations at a show. When you're as fortunate as we are to have been going for decades, you're going to see a huge plethora of different fans. It wasn't on purpose. The one thing that is purposeful is [that] we want to be as intimate as possible when we're on stage with the crowd. That's what has always been number one with every show we do.' Read the original article on People
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Metallica's James Hetfield talks about his personal growth in new documentary: ‘Being yourself wasn't always welcomed'
At the Tribeca Festival this week, Metallica stepped into the spotlight not just as rock legends, but as a lifeline. Their new documentary, Metallica Saved My Life, premiered to a packed crowd at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center on Thursday — offering an emotional tribute to the global community that surrounds the band and the lives touched, shaped, and sometimes literally saved by their music. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the film paints an intimate portrait of Metallica's impact across continents — from the streets of Japan to the heavy metal scene in Botswana — told entirely through the voices of fans. But the band themselves had their own truths to share. Following the screening, all four members — James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo — joined New Yorker writer Amanda Petrusich for a candid post-screening conversation. It was James, ever the reluctant frontman turned open-hearted veteran, who set the tone with raw honesty. 'When I get up on stage, I feel so much more comfortable up there than I do in regular life a lot of the times,' he said, before adding, 'I feel like I'm so easily able to be me with these fans, and the more I'm me, the more they like it. It's just so opposite of how I was brought up. Being yourself wasn't always welcomed for some reason.' Reflecting on their decades-long bond as a band and as individuals, James acknowledged how far they've come. 'Speaking my truth up there and other people understanding that truth, the four of us have gone through so much together, and we care about this a lot because a lot is still happening for us even into our fourth decade as a band. It's gotten better every decade,' he said. Now 61, James also credited his personal evolution — including recovery and reflection — with shifting his relationship to music. 'I've learned so much about myself and other people, on how to live life better and to not take things completely seriously and to be on stage and be yourself. We get to do that. I got the best job in the world. The end,' he said. While the film centers on the fans, the band made it clear that it's not just a one-way connection. 'It's been brewing for a few years,' said Lars, 61, at the premiere. 'There's such an incredible diversity among the fans and so many different stories and so many different worlds that they all come from and that they all inhabit. We thought to share that diversity would be a lot of fun, and to celebrate the fans and to scream from the rooftops about who they are and kind of turn the spotlight a little bit away from us and onto them because they're Metallica as much as we are,' he added. For bassist Robert Trujillo, 60, the power of those stories resonated deeply. 'For me, I'm touched by a lot of almost everything in there. There are some highlight moments in there that are more on the international level and how we're touching people in areas of the world that you can't imagine. Again, the fans mean as much to us as the music, as everything we do. We're interconnected and that goes to certain parts of the world and it's a very powerful thing to have in our lives actually,' Robert said. Even the conversation after the film reflected a kind of vulnerability not often associated with one of the world's biggest metal acts. Kirk, 62, spoke about staying grounded in the aftermath of touring: 'I like to put myself in situations and around people where it's like an instant equalization and it just knocks me off the pedestal that I might've been on for the last three or four weeks. That's usually putting a surfboard in the water, going down the beach, surfing, getting beat up by the ocean. [It] instantly just puts me down to earth and just brings me back down to instantly feeling that I'm just like everyone else.' Despite 44 years as a band, Metallica shows no signs of slowing down. Their M72 World Tour is already slated to continue through next year, with new European dates recently announced. And yet, they still prioritize connection over spectacle. 'We got older and so did our fans and our fans started having kids,' James said. 'We see three generations at a show. When you're as fortunate as we are to have been going for decades, you're going to see a huge plethora of different fans. It wasn't on purpose. The one thing that is purposeful is [that] we want to be as intimate as possible when we're on stage with the crowd. That's what has always been number one with every show we do,' he said.
