Metallica’s frontman James Hetfield attributes the band’s immense success to its ability to work as a cohesive whole rather than to the individual musical abilities of its members.
The individual musicians in Metallica, according to James Hetfield, are “average” players. ” I know individually, we’re all really average players”, the Metallica singer admitted in a recent interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine.
Metallica’s members may not have been thought of as musical virtuosos throughout the years compared to many of their metal peers, with drummer Lars Ulrich sadly taking the brunt of the criticism, but Hetfield makes a strong argument. You’d be hard-pressed to find another metal act whose first five albums are as renowned as Metallica’s, save for maybe Black Sabbath. What matters most is how a band functions as a whole.
James opened up in the interview, “I know individually we’re all really average players, but when you put us together something happens. Something really happens…. Getting up and jamming with people is like a nightmare for me.”
He also talked about his stage fright during the early days. Hetfield said, “Early shows were really difficult— I was so shy. [I] didn’t want to talk. I’d have the other guys in the band introduce the songs. [Now] I feel so comfortable up there, it’s so weird. Sitting down one-on-one with someone is a lot more anxiety ridden than standing up in front of 10,000 people, 20,000 people.”
“As we get older, we would love to continue to play all the places we’ve been before but it’s near impossible to keep up the pace we’ve had, say, in the ’90s. We would go out for months at a time…We are very self-critical and hard on ourselves and have very high standards. So we do take care of all aspects of bringing the best show visually and sonically to the people that enjoy our music and continue to come to see us live.”
72 Seasons, Metallica’s 11th studio album, is scheduled for release in April. It will be supported by a widespread world tour.
Metallica 2023/2024 World Tour
Apr 27, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL
Apr 29, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL
May 17, 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France, FRA
May 19, 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France, FRA
May 26, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER
May 28, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER
Jun 08, 2023: Download Festival, UK
Jun 10, 2023: Download Festival, UK
Jun 16, 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE
Jun 18 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE
Aug 04, 2023: East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium, USA
Aug 06, 2023: East Rutherford NJ MetLife Stadium, NJ, USA
Aug 11, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN
Aug 13, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN
Aug 18, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA
Aug 20, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA
Aug 25, 2023: Inglewood, CA SoFi Stadium, USA
Aug 27, 2023: Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium, USA
Sep 01, 2023: Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium, USA
Sep 03, 2023: Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium, USA
Nov 03, 2023: St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center, USA
Nov 05, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Nov 10, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA
Nov 12, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA
May 24, 2024: Munich Olympiastadion, GER
May 26, 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion, GER
Jun 7, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN
Jun 9, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN
Jun 14, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN
Jun 16, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN
Jul 05 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL
Jul 07 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL
Jul 12, 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA
Jul 14 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA
Aug 02, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA
Aug 04, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA
Aug 09, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA
Aug 11, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA
Aug 16, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA
Aug 18, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA
Aug 23. 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN
Aug 25, 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN
Aug 30, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA
Sep 01, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA
Sep 20, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 22, 2024 – Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 27, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 29, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
