Metallica frontman James Hetfield has sparked widespread attention after criticizing performers who use their concerts to promote political agendas.
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During the band's show at the Las Vegas Sphere on Saturday, Hetfield, 63, took aim at musicians who bring politics into their performances.
Although the singer did not name any artists directly, his comments come amid several high-profile musicians making political statements during recent concerts.
Metallica Frontman James Hetfield Slams Political Agendas
Before addressing politics, Hetfield thanked fans who had traveled to Las Vegas to see Metallica perform.
"Unless you live in Vegas, you've come a long way to spend some time with Metallica," he said. "We're grateful for that — your travels, the money you spend, the time it took, thanks for coming to celebrate with us."
The frontman then made his feelings clear about performers who use their platforms to influence audiences.
"I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls—, OK?."
"We are here ... no bulls— ... we're here to forget about all the outside s—, OK?" he added. "Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!"
Hetfield's remarks follow a recent controversy involving rapper Macklemore, who was dropped from Ed Sheeran's "Loop Tour" last month.
The decision came after Macklemore repeatedly said "Free Palestine" and performed his pro-Palestinian protest song "Hind's Hall" during his supporting set.
James Hetfield Has Previously Spoken Out Against Mixing Music and Politics
Following his removal from Sheeran's tour, Macklemore pledged to donate the $1 million he earned as a supporting act to organizations providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
The rapper also announced a three-date "Free Palestine Tour" for late October.
Meanwhile, country singer Zach Bryan wore a "Free Palestine" T-shirt during his sold-out concerts at Gillette Stadium earlier this month.
Hetfield has previously expressed his opposition to mixing music and politics, arguing that political disagreements can divide audiences.
"There's a lot of polarization going on in the States, and I see it in other places as well," he said in 2016. "But it just seems like you have to get more extreme to balance out the other extreme. We've got to find some balance in the middle here somewhere."
"We stay away from politics [and] from religion. That just seems to polarize people even more. We all have our own beliefs, but at the end of the day, we're trying to connect with people, and it seems like political views don't do that as much as music does."
Metallica are currently continuing their M72 World Tour, which began in April 2023 and features 111 scheduled performances through June 2027.
The band's final run of shows will take place across the United States and Canada, beginning in Vancouver in May 2027, with Limp Bizkit and Avatar among the supporting acts.
