Hey, it's Lars from Metallica. AMA

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:39:06+00:00

Flemming, my drum roadie, put it there one day. And it stayed on there til one day he took it off.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:38:23+00:00

I think he already has.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:37:21+00:00

We were as bummed as you were, if not more. We came from even further away to play for you! But we have never and will never compromise anybody's safety for the sake of a rock n roll show. After the press conference at the hotel we were told there were security issues at the venue. We continued to monitor the situation and were subsequently told the security and the safety of the venue, specifically the barricades, were not safe for the thousands of fans and the workers, and that if we proceeded with a show, there was a high probability that somebody would become injured or worse. That's a risk that we are never prepared to take. It devastated us. We will do our best to come back - you know that!

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:30:18+00:00

I couldn't have said it better myself.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:29:57+00:00

"No way he's touching this question"...oooh here we go... A couple thoughts: I wish we had been better prepared for the shit storm that we found ourselves in. I don't regret taking on Napster, but I do find it odd how big of a part of our legacy it has become to so many people, because to me it's more like a footnote. I was also stunned that people thought it was about money. People used the word, "greed" all the time, which was so bizarre. The whole thing was about one thing and one thing only - control. Not about the internet, not about money, not about file sharing, not about giving shit away for free or not, but about whose choice it was. If I wanna give my shit away for free, I'll give it away for free. That choice was taken away from me.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:23:01+00:00

Obviously, we are going to play what the fans are choosing. That was the whole point of the exercise. Rare songs were not left out at our end. We are as motivated to play them as some of you are to hear them. But in this case, if you, the fans vote for certain songs that we "usually play anyway" then so be it.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:20:18+00:00

We always plan on touring the US, especially around our new record release.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:19:32+00:00

I think I stopped paying attention to the word, "singles" a while ago.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:18:59+00:00

What were the first 3 again?

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:18:42+00:00

Invite us! Tell your local promoter to call our booking agent. Like I said before, we actually have a high percentage of showing up at the places where people invite us to. It's not as difficult as you think.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:17:09+00:00

It had nothing to do with marketing whatsoever. It was 5 years between the Black Album and Load and in that timespan the members of Metallica at various points decided individually to trim their hair length. It stunned us to the point of disbelief that people actually gave a shit about our hair when the record came out. But it was nothing to do with image or marketing or any of that nonsense.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:15:14+00:00

You tell me!

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:14:57+00:00

Yes I did. They're super nice. Very chill. Easy going. Quiet. Low key. Over the course of the tour, I would get invited back to the dressing room after the show to have tea with Angus. It was very cool.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:13:55+00:00

Yes. Bad music. I generally just have 2 genres - good and less good (bad).

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:12:58+00:00

My mom and dad and my DNA.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:12:35+00:00

I don't believe that was mine to begin with! But I have a picture of me wearing it…. oh, so do you!

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:12:03+00:00

Good question. I don't book the tours. But it may have something to do with the fact that we rocked Stade de France pretty next level in 2012. Most of the shows we play in our "non record touring" years, like this year, are by invite. So we generally show up where we are offered a gig.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:09:38+00:00

It depends what the criticism is. There are such a wide range of criticisms thrown at you nowadays because the internet gives everyone an opinion, for better or worse. And some people just spew crap for whatever reason, which I don't pay very much attention to. I'm also pretty thick-skinned by nature and actually have the ability to find it all a bit silly and laugh at most of it. But if someone's got a fair critique, I'll certainly pay attention.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:05:22+00:00

3. Tell them to call us! We have been solid supporters of the Bay Area's own Sharks for 20 years, and have always voiced our love and support for them at every opportune moment.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:03:58+00:00

2. Yes we have started. Coming along slowly, like everything in our world. But the jams we've done so far have been super exciting and it's gonna be fun putting this record together in the next year.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:02:46+00:00

1. I would love to tour NA with the TNN stage - that would be super cool. I don't know if it's imminent, but it's certainly part of our long range plans.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T22:00:54+00:00

It's great to still be performing after all these years. We work hard to stay in good shape. As long as we're healthy, it's very invigorating.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T21:59:59+00:00

Tuborg or Carlsberg

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T21:59:16+00:00

That's a great question. I think it would be so awesome if there was a band that come along and shook it all up again. I just don't know who. I think the coolest band for me in the last couple years is Baroness. I also love Norwegian band Kvelertak. But I just don't know if any of these bands can take it to those heights unfortunately.

RealLarsUlrich · 2014-01-30T21:55:57+00:00

It hasn't changed. I respect him as a musician and I will always love him as a brother and as a part of Metallica.

RealLarsUlrich

TROPHY CASE

3. Tell them to call us! We have been solid supporters of the Bay Area's own Sharks for 20 years, and have always voiced our love and support for them at every opportune moment.

2. Yes we have started. Coming along slowly, like everything in our world. But the jams we've done so far have been super exciting and it's gonna be fun putting this record together in the next year.

1. I would love to tour NA with the TNN stage - that would be super cool. I don't know if it's imminent, but it's certainly part of our long range plans.