James Hetfield Says Metallica Concerts Are Not for Politics at Las Vegas Sphere Show Metallica frontman James Hetfield told fans at the Las Vegas Sphere that the band is not there to influence them with politics, while Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour continues to draw attention to political statements at concerts. James Hetfield used Metallica's Saturday night show at the Las Vegas Sphere to thank traveling fans and to criticize entertainers who turn concerts into political platforms. The 63-year-old singer and guitarist said Metallica is not there to influence fans with politics. He said the band's agenda is love, energy and heavy music. Unless you live in Vegas, you have come a long way to spend some time with Metallica, Hetfield said in a video shared on YouTube. We are grateful for that, your travels, the money you spend, the time it took, thanks for coming to celebrate with us.Hetfield then made his point more bluntly as the audience clapped and cheered. I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls---, OK, he said. We are here, no bulls---, we are here to forget about all the outside s---, OK. Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby.Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran Tour Over PoliticsHetfield did not name any artists, but several musicians have recently made political statements during their concerts. Last month, Macklemore was dropped from his remaining scheduled performances on Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. The rapper had repeatedly called for a Free Palestine and performed his pro-Palestinian protest song Hind's Hall while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.At the time, Macklemore said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, told Sheeran that the Thrift Shop hitmaker would not be allowed to perform at the stadium. Kraft later confirmed that he opposed Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium, citing the rapper's recent actions and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.Following Macklemore's removal, all of Sheeran's remaining opening acts and supporting musicians, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, pulled out in solidarity with the rapper. In an Instagram statement, Sheeran said he was not responsible for Macklemore's removal, explaining that the promoter and venues made the decision. During his show in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he was appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.He called the situation in Gaza catastrophic and unjustifiable, while describing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel as horrific. Sheeran has also defended his decision to keep his concerts apolitical. The four-time Grammy winner said his audience includes children and fans from a wide range of backgrounds who do not expect a political forum when they attend his shows.Musicians Pledge Aid And Perform Political StandsMacklemore subsequently pledged to donate the $1 million he earned opening for Sheeran to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. He also announced a three-date Free Palestine Tour scheduled for late October. During the controversy, country singer Zach Bryan wore a Free Palestine T-shirt during his sold-out concerts at Gillette Stadium in October. Other musicians who have made political statements during concerts include Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Kacey Musgraves.Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy defended the decision to drop Macklemore, stating fans did not pay to hear political rants. Senior correspondent Eric Shawn joined Harris Faulkner to discuss the controversy ahead of the September 19th show. Hetfield has long expressed opposition to mixing music and politics. In a 2016 interview with the BBC, he explained that Metallica steered clear of divisive topics.Hetfield Defends Separating Music And PoliticsThere is a lot of polarization going on in the States, and I see it in other places as well, he said. But it just seems like you have to get more extreme to balance out the other extreme. We have got to find some balance in the middle here somewhere. We stay away from politics and religion, Hetfield added.That just seems to polarize people even more. We all have our own beliefs, but at the end of the day, we are trying to connect with people, and it seems like political views do not do that as much as music does. In a 2017 interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Hetfield declined to share his opinion of Donald Trump, who was president at the time, and reiterated his opposition to mixing music and politics.Everyone has an opinion about Donald Trump, I think. My opinion stays with me, he said. I am a singer and guitar player in a rock band, Hetfield continued. I hate politics.I do not want to talk about politics. That separates people, and I want to connect them with music. I prefer to stay out of all that, because it polarizes people, because if I say I love Trump or I hate Trump, someone can say then I do not like his music anymore, which is very silly.Lars Ulrich Never Discusses Politics With HetfieldIn a 2016 interview with Vulture, Hetfield's Metallica bandmate Lars Ulrich, who has expressed liberal political views and opposition to Trump, said that he and Hetfield had never discussed politics during their decades of performing together. I swear to you, I talk to James Hetfield about most things on this planet, but I do not think I have ever willfully had a political conversation with him, Ulrich said.