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Back in their wayward youth, the members of Metallica partied hard enough to earn the nickname Alcoholica. The joke seemed less funny when word leaked that singer James Hetfield had checked himself into rehab. The lyrics on Metallica's new album, St. Anger, certainly reflect his recent struggles, sounding alternately angry and defiant, with the occasional twelve-step survivor's mantra -- lines about "lifestyles" becoming "deathstyles" -- thrown in for good measure. Hetfield spoke from San Francisco, where the group was preparing to film a new video at San Quentin Prison.
Did you go to many summer festivals when you were younger?
Probably the most memorable was the California World Music Festival. It was one of those two-day things. The first night was Ted Nugent and Van Halen -- no, Aerosmith. I must have been fifteen or sixteen. I remember following around my buddy, who was selling drugs. He tore up a part of his ticket -- it had a kind of rainbow edge -- and he cut it into bits and sold it as acid. I was like, "What are you doing, man?" He used the money to buy beer.
What were the bands like?
I was a huge Aerosmith fan. I could not believe I was seeing them so close. I worked my way up there as far as I could. There was something magical about seeing them as actual live people, not just pictures on an album. The real coolness of Joe Perry, especially. It's impossible for him to be uncool. And I remember I was blown away by the fact that Steven was calling the crowd "motherfuckers." I was like, "Whoa -- are you supposed to do that?"
Lars mentioned some early outdoor shows you did in Arkansas.
I've got the poster for one of the shows hanging up right here, actually. The Bald Knob amphitheater in Bald Knob, Arkansas. That name is so funny. It was the Kill 'Em All for One Tour. The amphitheater was nothing but a giant field and a big cement block. But by six o'clock, they had everything set up: food, booze, catfish sandwiches.
How about the Monsters of Rock?
That whole tour was a big fog for me. Those were my Jagermeister days. It was bad coming back to some of those towns later, because there were a lot of dads and moms and husbands and boyfriends looking for me. Not good. People were hating me, and I didn't know why. That's when I realized Jagermeister is not the great elixir of life I thought it was. It was OK to feel drunk and fucked-up back then.
Did you ever worry about passing out from the heat during daytime sets?
Metallica never worried about anything in those days. And we stayed pretty lubricated with beer. For the day bands on the Summer Sanitorium Tour, I guess I'd just advise them not to wear leather or makeup.
After taking a break from touring, how are you feeling about such a big outing this summer?
We're looking forward to spreading this new lust for life we have. There's a new strength in Metallica that's never been there before. There are still fearful parts, too. But I'm pretty well set up. And I'm really proud of the new music. I think we did something where the pedal does not let up.