Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich thanks The Rolling Stones for saving the band from breaking up.
Metallica formed in 1981 and although they have been through some terrible times together, they’ve been going strong for almost thirty years now. As it turns out, however, there was a point when the band came close to breaking up.
According to Ulrich, it was the Rolling Stones who helped them out of a rut and had them rocking on top form.
“For us, it’s all about inviting people in and making ourselves as accessible as possible to fans. That period [in 2004] certainly wasn’t easy for us and, since then, we have learned boundaries and where our breaking points are,” Ulrich told The Sun.
“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.”
He 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. “
He added: “I’m happy that we did.”
