Lars Ulrich Reflects on Metallica’s Legendary Status: “It Still Feels Like We’re Just Getting Started”
Four decades is a long fucking time to do anything. Just ask Metallica founding member and drummer Lars Ulrich, who’s been behind the kit for the biggest metal band in the world since 1981. Back in those days, they played small venues, but it only took a few years until they were touring with Ozzy and then headlining their own arena gigs.
Now, Metallica are on a world tour supporting 72 Seasons, their 12th studio effort released earlier this year. While speaking with Jim Kerr of New York’s Q104.3 radio station (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), Ulrich reflected on Metallica’s current status as the top of the heavy metal food chain and the long road it’s taken to get there.
“It’s pretty surreal, honestly. 42 years in, it’s pretty crazy. And it’s still, and I’ve said this a thousand times, and people that follow us probably roll their eyes every time the following comes out of my mouth, but it still feels like we’re just getting started and it still feels like we are just trying to figure it all out and we keep threatening, at least to people around us, that we may actually turn professional at some point soon.
“But it’s crazy, the dedication and the support from the fans over the years. And, obviously, it’s not all the same fans. There’s a whole revolving door, and especially in the wake of, say, a phenomena like Stranger Things last summer, there’s a whole new, young generation that are showing up at all the shows, and I’m getting recognized by 10-year-olds on the street. And so it’s pretty crazy that 42 years into this ride that that’s still happening and it’s pretty crazy the shows we have here this weekend at MetLife are the biggest shows we’ve ever played in the greater New York, Jersey, tri-state area. So the fact that that keeps sort of continue to grow and certainly post-COVID, that there’s this kind of excitement, admiration, appreciation for live music and that everybody’s out celebrating life and togetherness and so on is a crazy thing.”
According to Ulrich, a lot of the success they’re experiencing today in their 50s and 60s can be directly attributed to the grind they maintained decades earlier. Back then, Metallica were notorious road dogs, traveling the world in support of each album that came out. Things especially got busy after the release of their self-titled album back in 1991 off the back of hit singles like “Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True.”
Now, as elder statesmen for the metal world, Ulrich said they can take their time and enjoy things for once.
“For a lot of years, in our twenties and thirties, we were full of piss and vinegar, as they say, and probably never slowed down long enough to take any of it in, as one doesn’t when one just keeps cruising at that speed, but now in our advanced ages here, even though we still feel, we still feel [very young], it’s amazing that there’s still this love for heavy music and for what we do. The difference now, compared to, say, 20, 30 years ago, is that we slow down long enough to take it in and appreciate the love, appreciate the generosity of the fans and the interaction and how fortunate we all are sharing music and to be able to still feel that we’re out here, and like I said before, we still connect with fans at the level that we’re connecting and we still have a level of sort of music and a level of, I guess, intensity and can go up and feel that we’re delivering the goods to the level that we still can share that and feel good about what we’re doing.”
If you’re into Metallica and want to catch them on the road, you can find the full list of tour dates, as well as links to get your hands on tickets, below.
METALLICA
M72 WORLD TOUR 2023-2024
Friday, August 4 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 6 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, August 11 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique [Tickets]
Sunday, August 13 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique [Tickets]
Friday, August 18 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 20 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, August 25 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 27 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, September 1 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, November 3, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center [Tickets]
Sunday, November 5, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center [Tickets]
Friday, November 10, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field [Tickets]
Sunday, November 12, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field [Tickets]
Friday, May 24 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion [Tickets]
Sunday, May 26 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion [Tickets]
Friday, June 7 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, June 9 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, June 14 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, June 16 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, July 5 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy [Tickets]
Sunday, July 7 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy [Tickets]
Friday, July 12 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano [Tickets]
Sunday, July 14 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano [Tickets]
Friday, August 2 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 4 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, August 9 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field [Tickets]
Sunday, August 11 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field [Tickets]
Friday, August 16 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 18 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, August 23 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium [Tickets]
Sunday, August 25 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium [Tickets]
Friday, August 30 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field [Tickets]
Sunday, September 1 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field [Tickets]
Friday, September 20 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol*** [Tickets]
Sunday, September 22 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol [Tickets]
Friday, September 27 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol*** [Tickets]
Sunday, September 29 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol [Tickets]
