NME writer Dele Fadele delves into his rock’n’roll diary to recall a war story of old. Here he elaborates on his 1987 encounter with “divas” Metallica…
“March 1987: I get to interview Metallica’s James Hetfield backstage in a giant astrodome on the outskirts of Paris. We talk about the hardcore punk/metal crossover of the time and Metallica as posterboys for a new, reformed kind of metal. He’s not having any of it.
“He says, at one point, casually, that he likes pissing in womens’ drinks in nightclubs. I say I’m gonna print his quote verbatim. As if he could care less. His quote is meant to antagonise the NME of the time, which slags off metal bands with impunity, for boorish, sexist behaviour, and uncontrolled excesses, amongst other things.
“James Hetfield is here to defend his way of life – hunting wild animals, eating red meat, an extremist Christian upbringing and background; loud, unreconstructed metal. All of which are anathema to NME. So, we’re thrown into a state of psychological warfare.
“A few hours previously, and I jump at the chance to fly to Paris and interview the band with great gusto. I figure a metal band that’s aware of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and the general American hardcore scene, will be right up my alley.
“But things go wrong from the moment we arrive at the venue. Metallica leave me stuck in a small room backstage, watching an insect slowly crawl up the wall for four hours.
“The photographer only gets three minutes photo time for what turns out to be a cover-shoot – luckily, she also gets to photograph Metallica live, or there wouldn’t be an image for what turns out to be their first NME cover article. Continue reading ‘Metallica: biggest divas in the world?’
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