Pink Floyd frontman calls James Hetfield of Metallica an expletive

In the canon of Bay Area bands, Metallica is counted as one of the most influential; however, frontman James Hetfield made it clear at a recent show at Las Vegas’ Sphere that one thing he doesn’t want to influence is his fans’ politics. And in a recent video interview, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters didn’t mince words when discussing Hetfield’s comments.

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“Metallica is not here like some other entertainers to influence you with their bulls—t, OK?” Hetfield said at the Sphere. “We are here, no bulls—t. We’re here to forget about all the outside s—t, OK? Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby.”

YouTuber Katie Halper dove into Metallica’s political history on an episode in which Waters was a guest. Despite some antiwar rhetoric in Metallica’s early work, Hetfield has made his disregard for politics known in a few archival interviews. Notably, he told the Guardian in 2008 that he had no objections to the band’s music being used as a torture technique at Guantanamo Bay. “If the Iraqis aren’t used to freedom, then I’m glad to be part of their exposure,” he said. “We’ve been punishing our parents, our wives, our loved ones with this music forever. Why should the Iraqis be any different?”

In response to Hetfield’s recent comments at the Sphere, Waters ripped into him on a number of fronts.

“He’s just showing that he’s a complete prick. He’s got an IQ of about 3,” Waters said. “Why we’re talking about him, honestly, I don’t know. He’s a nobody. He may have a few hundred millions dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick. And he’s no musician. I heard them, I told you, I heard them playing acoustic instruments, and they couldn’t. It was appalling.”

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As a contrast, Waters has been posting political videos on his social media, including an Oct. 4 video made for the occasion of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthday in which he criticized the country’s lack of support for the Palestinian people. In the past, however, Waters has drawn condemnation for his opinions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he called illegal, but he cast blame on Ukrainian extremists and NATO expansion. The statements led to the cancellation of concerts in Poland. Waters has also been criticized for his use of Nazi imagery in his tour wardrobe, which he described as satirical.

Waters’ latest project is a tour created under his direction, with a 10-piece band led by his son Harry performing songs from Pink Floyd’s catalog. The group, which does not include Roger Waters, is scheduled to perform in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2027, at the Golden Gate Theater.