Waters attacks Hetfield over Metallica’s stance on political messages at Sphere
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Waters has added a personal attack on Hetfield to a dispute over whether musicians should use the stage to make political points. Speaking on Katie Halper’s podcast, the former Pink Floyd singer called the Metallica frontman a “prick” and criticised his musicianship after Hetfield said Metallica was not at its Sphere shows to influence audiences with political messages.
Hetfield made the remarks at a Las Vegas show, saying the band’s agenda was “love, energy and heavy music”. Waters also cited reports that Metallica’s music was used in torture at US detention sites including Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, and reiterated his support for Palestinians. Metallica’s Sphere residency is due to continue through March 2028; Waters is helping shape a 2027 Pink Floyd legacy tour but will not perform on it.
- Waters insulted Hetfield over his Sphere speech.
- Hetfield said Metallica was there to focus on music.
- Waters also raised the band’s music and detention sites.
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Roger Waters is a British musician best known as a former member of Pink Floyd, while James Hetfield is the singer and guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Both have long careers and large audiences, but they have different views on whether musicians should use performances to address political issues.
Metallica’s Las Vegas Sphere shows are part of a long residency at a large entertainment venue. The dispute touches on a wider question about how much artists should say about politics on stage, and how audiences interpret music used outside its original setting.
Waters has also spoken publicly in support of Palestinians and has recalled reports that Metallica’s music was played during US military detention and interrogation. The claims connect the argument about artists’ public role with questions about how music can be used in situations far removed from a concert.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Musicians have a platform that can draw attention to political issues, and Waters’s view is that using it to speak about human rights and suffering is a meaningful expression of artistic and moral responsibility. Given his account of Metallica’s music being used in detention settings, he may see silence on such matters as inadequate when music has also been implicated in political events.
The case against
Artists can reasonably regard their work as entertainment and choose not to use concerts to promote political messages, leaving audiences to form their own views. Hetfield’s reported position respects that choice, while Waters’s personal insults risk shifting attention from the underlying disagreement and making open discussion less constructive.
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Originally published by Consequence as “Roger Waters Calls James Hetfield a “Prick” Over Metallica Frontman’s Sphere Speech”.