James Hetfield Growing Out Hair Again
Q& A: Metal messiah James Hetfield talks Metallica, long hair and Canadian fans
We talk to Metallica's 54-year-old lead singer and songwriter James Hetfield, ahead of the metal band's concert in Vancouver Aug. 14.
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Metallica
Aug. xiv, 6 p.m. | B.C. Place
Tickets and info: $55.50-$183; Ticketmaster.ca
Metallica is not solitary in having to compete with its own ghost — don't we all?
But given the metal icons' unquestionable influence early — plus the rabidity of their intergenerational and global fan base — few musical acts take been so scrutinized at such a level.
While 1991's cocky-titled Metallica sold over twenty million copies — i million of those in Canada — the price of this ferociously successful left turn was that many deep-cut fans have for a very long time begged and screamed for albums with the dragon-fire ability of 1983's Kill 'Em All, or the outright majesty of Ride the Lighting and Master of Puppets — the latter of which arrived in record stores 31 years ago.
"It's always fun to accept someone tell you what you lot should do," laughs 54-year-old atomic number 82 vocalizer and songwriter James Hetfield over the phone from Miami. "Especially when you're an artist."
But on the larger sunny side, amid Metallica'southward decades of sold-out tours, nine Grammy Awards, 100-million album sales and killer songs on more recent albums like St. Anger and especially Decease Magnetic, allow'southward not ignore this cheerful news: Concluding year'southward Hardwired … to Cocky-Destruct is not only architecturally complex plenty to sit upward there with the band's most luminous efforts, but information technology straight-up kicks arse, most certainly echoing the aforementioned recordings in that it'due south both heavy on thrash and radio friendly. The boundless new Moth Into Flame is a perfect case of this fusion.
Hardwired had simply gone platinum the morning of this interview, and so it'southward hither we start talking.
"Nosotros're looking at flashing lights — in front of us, which is better than behind us," the metal messiah joked right off the bat.
Q. Full congratulations on Hardwired. How does selling a million records feel at this stage?
A. That'south unbelievable, I tell you. Unexpected, for sure. It's all bonus, human being.
Q. And how's your health, all that?
A. We're touring age appropriately (laughs) 54-55, especially our kind of music, which is a piffling more aggressive. Two weeks on, two weeks off. No two-in-a-rows. And that's how we need to practice it to stay sane and salubrious. We're happy to still be playing after this long, still beloved what we practice.
Q. My cohort at Postmedia News says he'south photographed 1,500 bands live, merely that you guys are the best band to shoot.
A. Well, we're adept posers. (Laughs.)
Q. You did some really cool stuff with the video seismic sea wave matter when the album was released — tin can you talk about how that went down?
A. We've got awesome people around us who are extremely creative, cadet the system, try new things. We did all the songs, found interesting people, really depression budget and made it absurd and interesting. We knew we didn't want to get it on YouTube first (as a) video of the lyrics. We actually gave the creative management to the directors. You can tell an creative person what to do, but he'south not going to be extremely happy if information technology's not his vision, you know? Nosotros'd choose between a couple different concepts per song.
Q. I'd say y'all've captured some of the complication and thrashiness of Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. I know a lot of fans are always hoping for that early sound.
A. You can't deny their passion near it. We certainly don't want to go backwards. We're here to move forward, simply also, we know what we exercise best. All that stuff naturally happens — we did non fix out to brand Kill 'Em All over again. I'grand pretty surprised people have embraced it every bit early, early Metallica, because to me it doesn't sound similar that. Maybe some of the guitar harmonies, certain riffs? Simply it's overnice people are able to hear what they need to in what we like creating.
Q. Can y'all say something you lot adore almost each of the band members? Let's commencement with the new guy, who'due south been around for a long time now, Robert Trujillo.
A. Been in the band longer than any bass player. He will forever be the new guy. Hopefully there's non another new guy. He'due south extremely dedicated. He'south always practising. He challenges u.s.a.: 'How 'bout we attempt this?' A dedicated musician.
Q. And drummer Lars Ulrich, what do you admire well-nigh well-nigh him?
A. He does not take no for an answer. That's proficient and bad when you're a partner in a concern. (Laughs.) When you sic that bulldog onto somebody else, it's swell. He's really good at the big movie, where I can go stuck in details. He's very into what a fan would dearest — he's the biggest Metallica fan in that location is.
Q. And Kirk Hammett?
A. He'southward got an innocence about him. He'southward not really concerned about life, he flows through it really well and good things happen to him. He doesn't experience the need to control things.
Q. You lot got another Cthulhu song in in that location with Dream No More — what keeps bringing you lot back to H.P. Lovecraft?
A. Godzilla'due south been washed, you could write a song about King Kong, I judge. At that place'due south a mystery still to information technology — it's even so alive and well, and interesting. I'm able to go nighttime, evil and behemothic whenever I have on the Cthulhu role.
Q. Is there still that sense of fantasy for you? A power thing?
A. We're human, right? And when yous're onstage every other night playing in front of fifty,000 people, possibly it'southward going to affect your ego. Information technology just is. I know a lot of people who don't need that to have behemothic egos. Information technology can take you in the wrong fashion, and brand you lot believe y'all're … bigger than you are. But we try to stay as grounded equally possible, making the phase as low as possible, getting as shut as possible to the fans. But at that place was a time, obviously, when the egos got to you.
Q. Looking back on it, your legendary bass player Cliff Burton, balance in peace, was someone you knew when y'all were a kid. Exercise you think well-nigh him often?
A. Admittedly. Fans mention him, and he's still alive in their hearts. Every one time in a while when I need some energy, I will think virtually Cliff and call back, he'd want to allow loose.
Q. Can y'all draw Canadian metal fans?
A. (Laughs hard.) I can't describe any Metallica fans at present. They look and then different now, from gender to age to colour to careers. Everyone is showing upward with their kids, their parents. At that place isn't a specific wait anymore. I could depict them 20 years agone, simply information technology has morphed and changed.
Q. Y'all guys play a lot of deep cuts live, what's the set look similar?
A. We're playing five new songs, which is a third of the set, and people are embracing it. I remember twenty years ago, you play too much new stuff, they'd boo you.
Q. Do you miss having long hair?
A. Yes. When we're on stage. But the balance of the time? No, homo, not at all.
—Fish Griwkowsky, Postmedia News
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Source: https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/local-arts/q-a-metal-messiah-james-hetfield-talks-metallica-long-hair-and-canadian-fans
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