Metallica frontman James Hetfield criticizes artists who push political agendas during their concerts

Metallica frontman James Hetfield targeted concert politics amid the removal of Mclemore from Ed Sheeran's tour over Free Palestine calls.

Ed Sheeran's tour has had repercussions after Macklemore pulled out over anti-Israel comments

The fallout from the tour and planned protests has hit Ed Sheeran after rapper Macklemore was dropped from his upcoming concert lineup due to anti-Israel comments. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy defended the decision, saying fans weren't paying to hear political rants. Senior Correspondent Eric Shawn joins Harris Faulkner to discuss the controversy ahead of the September 19 show.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield invites musicians who bring political agendas to the stage.

During Metallica's show at the Las Vegas Sphere on Saturday night, the 63-year-old musician took a moment to express his gratitude to fans who travel to see the heavy metal band and entertainers who turn concerts into political platforms.

"Unless you live in Vegas, you're a long way from spending time with Metallica," he said in a video shared on YouTube. "We're grateful for this — your travels, the money you spend, the time you spend, thanks for coming to celebrate with us."

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"I just have to say, Metallica isn't here, like some other entertainers, to impress you with their bulls---, okay?" Hetfield continued as the audience clapped and cheered.

"We're here . . . no bulls--- . . . we're here to forget all the outside stuff---, okay?" he added. Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!

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Although Hetfield did not name any artists, several musicians have recently made political statements during their concerts.

Last month, Macklemore was pulled from his remaining scheduled performances on Ed Sheeran's "The Ring" tour after the rapper repeatedly called for a "free Palestine" and performed his pro-Palestinian protest song "Hind's Hall" while opening for the "Shape of You" singer at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Hetfield said Metallica won't impress fans with their "bulls---". (Redferns)

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At the time, Macklemore said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., told Sheeran that the "Thrift Shop" creator would not be allowed to perform at the stadium.

Kraft later confirmed that he was opposed to Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium, citing the rapper's "recent actions" and what he called a "broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery."

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After Macklemore was fired, all of Sheeran's remaining original cast and backing musicians, including Phineas, Lucas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, walked out in solidarity with the rapper.

Sheeran said in an Instagram statement that he was not responsible for Macklemore's removal, explaining that the promoter and venue made the decision.

Read it: Ed Sheeran pre-concert speech to Philly crowd about Gaza controversy

During his show in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" and called the situation in Gaza "catastrophic and unjustifiable", while describing the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas as "horrific".

Sheeran has also defended his decision to keep his concerts apolitical. The four-time Grammy winner said her audience includes children and fans from a wide range of backgrounds who don't "expect a political forum" when they attend her shows.

Following the announcement of the Free Palestine Tour, Macklemore was credited as a "performer".

Macklemore subsequently pledged to donate the $1 million he earned for Sheeran to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. He also announced the three-day "Free Palestine Tour" planned for the end of October.

During the controversy, country singer Zach Bryan wore a "Free Palestine" T-shirt to his concerts at Gillette Stadium in October.

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Other musicians who have made political statements during concerts include Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, and Kacey Musgraves.

Zac Bryan wore a "Free Palestine" t-shirt during his concerts at Gillette Stadium. (Gasstawart/Redferns)

Meanwhile, Hetfield has long expressed his opposition to mixing music and politics. In a 2016 interview with the BBC, he explained that Metallica avoids divisive topics.

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"There's a lot of polarization going on in the United States, and I see it elsewhere," he said. "But it just seems like you have to go more extreme to balance out the other extreme. We have to find a balance in the middle here."

"We stay out of politics [and] out of religion," Hatfield added. "It seems to polarize people even more. We all have our beliefs, but at the end of the day we're trying to connect with people and political views don't seem to do that as much as music."

In a 2017 interview with Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Hetfield refused to share his opinion of then-president Donald Trump, reiterating his opposition to mixing music and politics.

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"I think everyone has an opinion about Donald Trump. Mine will stick with me," he said.

Hetfield continued: I'm a singer and guitar player in a rock band.

He added: I hate politics. "I don't want to talk about politics. It divides people and I want to connect them with music. I prefer to stay away from all that because it polarizes people because if I say 'I like' Trump or I hate Trump, someone can say 'then I don't like his music anymore' which is so stupid.

In a 2016 interview with Vulture, Hetfield's Metallica bandmate Lars Ulrich, who has expressed liberal political views and opposition to Trump, said that he and Hetfield had never discussed politics during their decades of performing together.

"I swear to you, I talk to James Hetfield about most things on the planet, but I don't think I've ever intentionally had a political conversation with him," he said.

We've been together for 35 years, and obviously we've been in the same room when the conversation turned to politics, but James and I sitting in a room discussing our particular views on something like affordable health care? It never happened."