Metallica drummer and onetime Napster naysayer Lars Ulrich is apparently okay with people “stealing” his band’s music nowadays.
Ulrich became the face of the anti-Internet music piracy movement after the infamous “Metallica v. Napster, Inc.” lawsuit in 2000. The drummer was a vocal opponent of people sharing MP3 files of the band’s music via P2P file-sharing platforms such as Napster, upsetting millions of music fans in the process.
It’s been more than 20 years since the Metallica-Napster case, and now streaming has become the dominant form of music consumption, albeit via paid services like Spotify and Apple Music.
While some still hold a lingering bitterness toward Ulrich for the Napster case, the drummer has a new outlook given the current state of the music industry. In a new interview with the SmartLess podcast — hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett — the metal legend expressed that he’s pleased that fans are still listening to Metallica’s music, no matter how they get their hands on it.
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“Well, obviously it’s changed quite a bit,” said Ulrich. “And in your guys’ industry, some of the same things that we were dealing with 20 years ago are happening. Big picture, and I know this may sound like a little bit of a cop-out, I’m just happy that fucking anybody cares about what we’re doing and shows up to see us play and still stream or buy or steal our records or whatever.”
Ulrich continued, “The engagement itself, I think, is the triumph and the victory. Obviously, it’s way, way harder for a lot of the younger bands nowadays because they don’t get the support of the record companies for basic things — just like gear and tour support. So there is very much of a different thing.”
Ulrich also acknowledged that Metallica are one of the biggest bands in the world, making their situation unique compared to smaller acts, in terms of record sales and generating a following.
“Talent, good songwriting eventually will find a home with a larger group of people. And whether you do it from your bedroom or through a record company or whatever, I believe that everybody will be heard eventually if they’re talented. But it is tough. It’s tough for a lot of the younger bands out there, and for a lot of the bands that 20 years ago could make a living playing clubs or theaters are having a harder time now because they don’t sell as many records and you really have to be out there and pushing it.”
Meanwhile, Metallica’s “M72 World Tour” is set to continue on November 3rd and 5th for a pair of “No Repeat Weekend” concerts in St. Louis. The thrash legends will then conclude their 2023 itinerary with shows in Detroit on November 10th and 12th. followed by another North American run in 2024. Pick up tickets to Metallica’s upcoming concerts here, and read our Consequence cover story interview with Ulrich and bandmate Robert Trujillo here.
Listen to the full SmartLess podcast episode with Lars Ulrich below.
