Metallica is suing insurer Lloyd’s of London for allegedly not paying out the quartet for financial losses suffered when the band postponed a half-dozen shows in South America in April 2020 because of the coronavirus, CBS-LA reports.
The band filed the paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week, alleging breach of contract and seeking unspecified compensatory damages. The group had a standard “cancellation, abandonment and non-appearance insurance” policy in case of cancellation, the suit claims.
Metallica played two shows in its hometown of San Francisco in September 2019, with six more concerts slated in South America beginning in April 2020, in Santiago, Chile, the suit says. By April 2020, nearly the entire world was shut down due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, and Metallica had to postpone the shows.
Lloyd’s allegedly would not compensate the band, citing the policy’s communicable disease exclusion, and “denied any coverage obligation whatsoever based on an unreasonably restrictive interpretation of the policy,” CBS-LA says.
Metallica is reportedly ready to reschedule the postponed shows, but that hasn’t happened yet.
During the shutdown, Metallica stayed safely busy with remote shows and appearances, including playing “Battery” on The Late Show in celebration of Master of Puppets’ 35th anniversary.
Even though it’s been reported that singer/guitarist James Hetfield is “a little skeptical” about the COVID-19 vaccine, Metallica will headline the two-night Louder Than Life fest in September 2021.
The lineup is currently working on new music in its San Francisco-area studio.
