Lars Ulrich: ‘James Hetfield Is More Vulnerable Than People Think’

It’s no secret that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich get vulnerable with each other. It seems that Lars knew they would complement each other from the get-go. The drummer revealed to Classic Rock about their early days, he said:

“We were a perfect match because I thought that I could help pull some of that stuff [shyness] out of him. He made up for some of my lack of talent. It was a yin and yang kind of thing. I felt it from the get-go.”

Even though his fans see a side of him, Lars has the chance to be with the singer every step of the way and see every side of him. He added:

“He’s much sweeter and more vulnerable than people think he is. I always felt he was a very gentle soul and a loving guy.”

For example, just last year, James got emotional on stage and got a hug from his bandmates after sharing his insecurities about his age and guitar-playing skills during a show in Brazil. Lars recalled that moment during an interview with Revolver this past April where he said:

“Hugging your fellow bandmates is definitely something that we do enjoy along the way. And being open about our love for each other and our appreciation for each other, and how grateful we are that 40-plus years later, we can still stumble along and make it happen. We’re very comfortable with that side.”

You can read Lars Ulrich’s Classic Rock interview here.