Lars Ulrich Credits the Rolling Stones for Metallica’s Reboot in the 2000s
Metallica was at a bit of a crossroads in the 2000s, but according to Lars Ulrich, the band got a bit of a reboot during that time thanks to The Rolling Stones.
Ulrich recently spoke with U.K’s The Sun and spoke about the Stones asking Metallica to open for them during some of their shows in California and said, “That period [in 2004] certainly wasn’t easy for us and, since then, we have learned boundaries and where our breaking points are. That was the last time we had a real break — we haven’t shut down the band in 14 years, but we disappeared then for about a year. And then the Rolling Stones called us up and said, ‘Come and play some shows with us in California,’ and we sort of agreed, you’re not going to say no to the Stones, so that was it.”
Ulrich continued, “It gave us the way to start it back up again. Whether you’re a team in an office or a bunch of dudes in a rock and roll band, at some point people have to figure out how to get along and work as a team. If you don’t care, it’s easier to walk away, but fortunately, we cared enough about Metallica on behalf of ourselves and the fans to figure out a way to make it function. I’m happy that we did.”
Sure, during an interview in 2007, Ulrich also talked about how meeting the Stones wasn’t exactly the most personal of visits, but if that gig helped give Metallica the kick it needed at the time, I’m sure most can look past a less-than-stellar meeting.
Erica Banas is rock/classic rock news blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
