Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters shared a harsh reaction to Metallica frontman James Hetfield after his recent comments about bands pushing their agendas in live shows, in remarks made on The Katie Halper Show.
Hetfield had stated that Metallica does not want to sway listeners with political statements during their performances. Waters disagreed strongly with this position.
“He’s just showing that he’s a complete prick,” Waters said. “He’s got an IQ of about three, and why we’re talking about him, I don’t even know, because he’s a nobody. He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick.”
Hetfield had previously told audiences at a recent Sphere show that the band was grateful for fans who came to see them. “Unless you live in Vegas, you’ve come a long way to spend some time with Metallica. We’re grateful for that – your travels, the money you spend, the time it took. Thanks for coming to celebrate with us,” he said.
Hetfield also stated, “And I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK? We are here, no bullshit. We’re here to forget about all the outside shit, OK?”
Waters made these comments in reaction to Hetfield’s stance on how bands should approach their relationship with audiences during live performances.
Hetfield’s position against mixing music and politics is long-standing. In 2017, the Metallica frontman told Chilean newspaper La Tercera that he wanted to avoid discussing political views entirely. “I hate politics. I don’t want to talk about politics, it separates people, and I want to connect them through music,” he said at that time.
Hetfield’s comments about keeping politics out of Metallica’s performances stand in contrast to the band’s own catalog, which contains many songs with political and social themes. Tracks like “One,” “Blackened,” and “Disposable Heroes” address subjects such as war, government corruption, censorship, and legal injustice. The 1988 album …And Justice for All covers themes of political and legal injustices throughout its lyrics.
Metallica announced a residency at Sphere in Las Vegas beginning October 1, 2026, with 24 total shows scheduled through March 2027. The residency features live performances from the Metallica catalog enhanced by Sphere’s immersive technologies, continuing the No Repeat Weekend format the band first introduced during its 2023 M72 World Tour, where no songs are repeated on each Thursday and Saturday pairing.
