Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich took to Reddit yesterday, in a very brave moving doing a AMA (Ask Me Anything). I say brave because the internet is not typically kind to Metallica after the whole Napster debacle, amongst other things, but Lars took it in stride. Here are the best moments from his AMA:
Top question (that got answered): Friends still mention the Napster thing when I talk about Metallica. Any regrets there or do you feel it has had any long-term positive or negative effects on sales/the band/digital music?
"No way he's touching this question"…oooh here we go… A couple thoughts: I wish we had been better prepared for the shit storm that we found ourselves in. I don't regret taking on Napster, but I do find it odd how big of a part of our legacy it has become to so many people, because to me it's more like a footnote. I was also stunned that people thought it was about money. People used the word, "greed" all the time, which was so bizarre. The whole thing was about one thing and one thing only – control. Not about the internet, not about money, not about file sharing, not about giving shit away for free or not, but about whose choice it was. If I wanna give my shit away for free, I'll give it away for free. That choice was taken away from me.
Somebody posted a massive rebuttal that Lars did not acknowledge.
Why the hell didn't you guys play Trapped Under Ice during your Antarctica show?
We forgot! We talked about it the week before but in all the momentary excitement, we literally forgot.
Lars, have you ever downloaded illegally a song from the internet?
Yes. When Death Magnetic leaked 10 days early, one of the HQ guys was over at my house, drinking wine, and we played around with bit torrent and downloaded our own songs, which we figured we were somewhat entitled to do. The scariest part was how easy it was.
What's your favorite Megadeth song?
"My Last Words"
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPUpPUhSSiQ[/youtube]
Hey Lars, After all these years, how do you feel about Dave Mustaine?
It hasn't changed. I respect him as a musician and I will always love him as a brother and as a part of Metallica.
What is your personal favorite Metallica song?
Whichever one I'm playing at the moment.
What do you think of the state of heavy metal today? Do you think we will ever see another HUGE metal act the likes of Metallica/Maiden/Priest and such? Do you think metal will ever make a resurgence to the glory days of the 80’s?
That's a great question. I think it would be so awesome if there was a band that come along and shook it all up again. I just don't know who. I think the coolest band for me in the last couple years is Baroness. I also love Norwegian band Kvelertak. But I just don't know if any of these bands can take it to those heights unfortunately.
Do you think Hetfield could kill a bear with his bare hands?
I think he already has.
Favorite beer?
Tuborg or Carlsberg
Why did you guys cut your hair back in 1996? I felt not only your image changed but so did your music. Was this the point or part of marketing?
It had nothing to do with marketing whatsoever. It was 5 years between the Black Album and Load and in that timespan the members of Metallica at various points decided individually to trim their hair length. It stunned us to the point of disbelief that people actually gave a shit about our hair when the record came out. But it was nothing to do with image or marketing or any of that nonsense.
There's a lot of Load, REload, and St. Anger material that's been untouched by the band (at least before recent shows) and in interviews. Do you and the guys think there are any songs from those eras that didn't get enough love or appreciation?
I think reinterpretation is a very interesting element of your back catalogue. I don't think that you need to be tied to one particular version of a song. I've always thought it could be interesting to reinterpret St. Anger in a contemporary live situation. Also we started playing "Carpe Diem Baby" live last year, which was fun, so lots of unplayed material from that era. There are lots of those songs that could work again in live settings. It doesn't necessary need to be stadiums, it could be smaller shows or settings.
What was in the bag in the film Metallica trough the never?
Whatever you want it to be. I never got a chance to look in there myself.
Are you considering remastering some of the earlier albums?
Yes, we are considering remastering some of the early records.
Read more answers here.
