Anyone who saw the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster knows Metallica have a highly developed whiny side, a collective trait that also spurred their embarrassing and ultimately pointless assault on file-sharing company Napster at the dawn of the 00s. But this latest claim will strike most folks as beyond the pale even for the Bay Area rock brawlers.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, guitarist Kirk Hammett claims the quartet can't afford not to tour because they don't make enough money from royalties. Hammett added that, although the band would like to be able to spend more time with their families, they simply can't afford to.
OK, so let's step back for a moment, shall we? In January of this year, it was revealed that Metallica's 1991 self-titled opus – colloquially known as The Black Album and which the band is currently playing in its entirety on tour - had been officially confirmed as the biggest seller in America over the past 20 years with Soundscan figures pegging Stateside sales at almost 16,000,000.That figure complements overall album sales of roughly 53,000,000 since 91, making the quartet the fourth biggest artist of the Soundscan era, behind Garth Brooks, The Beatles and Mariah Carey.And yet, improbably, Hammett tells Rolling Stone, "The cycles of taking two years off don't exist any more. We were able to do that because we had record royalties coming in consistently. Now you put out an album, and you have a windfall maybe once or twice, but not the way it used to be – a cheque every three months."Hammett then said that the band would actively like to tour less, but can't. He added: "We've been a live band, we've had to get out there and play, play, play. But nowadays that was the area we wanted to kind of lay back on a little bit, and kind of enjoy our families and things. But, you know, it is what it is, and we can't change that."Admittedly, it takes a lot of cash to keep the well-oiled Metallica machine humming. But it is hard to imagine how a band that can sell out a concert tour anywhere on the planet and that has rarely made a commercial misstep in the whole of its career - charitably overlooking their ridiculous Lou Reed collaboration, Lulu - doesn’t have palettes of cash in the bank.Unless their backstage rider calls for daily servings of Unicorn Tartare and Bald Eagle Burgers topped with lobster and paired with jugs of 1952-vintage Cristal, you have to wonder: maybe time for a new accountant?Wait! There's more!Metallica 3D concert film being shot in Canada!Watch: Meat Loaf, Rebecca Black skewer reality TV judges!Live Aid killed my music career: Bob GeldofGarbage boots fans out of gig for fighting (watch!)Elvis' crypt up for auctionDid the Osmond Brothers rip off Led Zeppelin? Listen!Aging rocker marrying 24-year-old (video)
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Screw metallica...they got their start from file sharing and then turned around and tried to shut down file sharing..looks good on them
Posted by: pomp | 05/31/2012 at 11:28 AM
Fighting Napster was PR suicide... if they'd have waited for iTunes back in the day, they'd have done better. Good job Lars!
Posted by: Sean | 05/31/2012 at 12:01 PM
I can't stand these guys now.
Lars is a big baby and Kirk is a whiney dork.
Posted by: Stanley | 06/01/2012 at 01:29 PM
If you want to know who really gets the money from most rockstar recording contracts, check out "HowStuffWorks/music royalties.
Publishers and record companies get the lions' share, even more than the songwriter, in most cases. So they have to keep performing to earn money off their work.
Posted by: Heather | 06/01/2012 at 03:35 PM
Yes it's true most bands make their money off touring, the record companies make the most off record sales.
That being said, Metallica's tours are always some of the biggest ones on Earth. So them saying they don't make enough from those is garbage.
Posted by: Kat | 06/01/2012 at 11:43 PM
All depends on your definition of enough ? {greedy Maybe}
Posted by: Bill | 06/02/2012 at 02:25 PM
stop living life like your michael jackson and you won't have trouble living within your means. One day someone will leak how much each of them makes per sold out world tour and they will lose all sympathy from fans. Most people are in the working poor, yet manage to support this band, yet they still find reason to complain about money...
Posted by: Nick | 06/02/2012 at 02:53 PM
So is the author trying to say file sharing is okay? And doesn't effect artists? Or they artists are just greedy sellouts? I guess a bit of both.
Hmm, most people automatically assume they all have vaults of money. If any of us were in the same situation would we be any different? I doubt it.
Of course it doesn't help their cause when they want music tariffs for songs played at weddings more if there is dancing, for parade floats and in gyms.
No easy answers here.
Posted by: Old GN'R Fan | 06/02/2012 at 02:57 PM
Wah, wah, wah. I thought that performing was your 'job'. I sure wish that I was so poor that I could go touring with my band.
Posted by: twitchie | 06/02/2012 at 03:16 PM
Heather - are you on drugs? They earn more than my sister who is a cardiac surgeon. She lives very well on 1/10 of what they earn.
Posted by: donny | 06/02/2012 at 03:51 PM
BS whinne me a river
Posted by: db | 06/02/2012 at 04:45 PM
Gee, looks like Sympatico is in the business of information 'control'. Posted a non abusive and relevant message on this comment board but it was removed. You guys aren't owned by Rupert Murdoch are you?
Posted by: Old GN'R Fan | 06/02/2012 at 04:49 PM
They would have made money back in the day but they chose to blow it all on Crack & Hookers.
Posted by: Robert | 06/02/2012 at 05:28 PM
I remember James Hetfield saying Metallica needed to fight napster because they had kids going to school ..imao.. they must be going to school in private jets.
Posted by: giant_midget | 06/02/2012 at 06:45 PM
maybe lars ought to sell more of his millions in his art collection? whiny rich pricks,get areal job like selling klennex
Posted by: andy d | 06/02/2012 at 06:45 PM
I'll believe the "I can't afford it" stuff if I had some of thier income info to back it up, talk is cheap. As stated before, it's the dam publishers and record companies who get the lions share. These people have been really ripping bands off for years.
I would also like to know what kind of lifestyle this band lives and what they think they should have for money to make them happy? Life is what you make it and wanting alot will just make you think your poor.
Posted by: Cheap | 06/02/2012 at 06:57 PM
Cry me a river..."boo hoo, we only made millions this year how can we aford our million dollar homes - suck it.
Posted by: Andrew | 06/02/2012 at 07:56 PM
Watching Some Kind of Monster really told me about the band - Lars really has esteem issues especially when it comes to status - remember the scene when his painting (paintings, I can't recall if it was one or several now) was being auctioned off? Yeah, they turned into the people I hate...
Posted by: The Ripper | 06/02/2012 at 08:03 PM
who cares how much money they have. They should worry about recording a solid album!
Posted by: Tony | 06/05/2012 at 04:26 PM
It's true that record companies and publishers keep most of the money, but these guys have pissed it all away on booze, drugs, and partying.
They've been offered a chance few get to have, so no I don't feel sorry for them.
Posted by: John | 06/07/2012 at 12:43 AM