“He’s a Nobody”: Roger Waters Slams Metallica’s James Hetfield Over His Sphere Speech in Las Vegas

Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has launched a scathing attack on Metallica frontman James Hetfield, branding him a “prick” amid an escalating global debate over the relationship between rock music and political agendas.

On October 10, during Metallica’s fourth show at the Las Vegas Sphere, James Hetfield appeared to take a direct shot at artists like Macklemore during his mid-gig address. He criticized musicians who use stadium stages to push personal political platforms, addressing the fallout that saw Macklemore removed from his arena run with Ed Sheeran last month. Following that decision, all supporting acts and Ed Sheeran’s own backing band walked away from the tour in solidarity.

“Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, okay?” James Hetfield told the roaring crowd. “We’re here to forget about all of the outside shit.”

Roger Waters, who has long woven fierce political convictions into the bedrock of his career, took sharp offense at James Hetfield’s stance. Speaking on Katie Halper’s podcast, the bassist dismissed the Metallica frontman in uncompromising terms.

“Can we stop talking about this prick?” Roger Waters snapped. “I’m so bored with him. He’s just showing that he’s a complete prick. He’s got an IQ of about three, and why we’re talking about him I honestly don’t know, because he’s a nobody.”

“He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick, and he’s no musician,” Roger Waters continued. “I heard them playing acoustic instruments, and they couldn’t. It was appalling.”

James Hetfield’s remarks drew criticism from commentators who noted that Metallica’s discography is filled with socio-political commentary. The band’s Sphere set kicked off with “Blackened”—a track tackling environmental destruction—and featured the anti-war masterpiece “One” near its climax.

Nuclear annihilation, state censorship, and systemic legal failures have consistently defined Metallica’s output over the decades. Furthermore, the band’s high-profile lawsuit against file-sharing network Napster in 2000 solidified their place in historic debates surrounding music technology and artistic rights.

Roger Waters, however, suggested James Hetfield lacked core values.

“I wish he had grown up with a mama or a dad or a friend or even a cousin or somebody in the family who took him to one side when he was little [and taught him kindness],” he remarked. “It’s a shame this prick didn’t have somebody around him to explain that being kind is way more important than all that loud music and bouncing around.”

Interestingly, just one day prior to James Hetfield’s comments, Tom Morello offered a nuanced perspective on the matter. Despite his reputation as one of rock’s most outspoken activists, the Rage Against the Machine guitarist argued that artists aren’t obligated to take political stances on stage.

it would be false, and I couldn't make music that I think connected with people.

“Other bands—whether it’s Mötley Crüe writing about groupies—that’s authentic, so it comes across as something that’s powerful. So it’s like, ‘Don't make political music to please Tom Morello. Make music that’s honest to your heart, and that's how you can connect with people.’”

Tom Morello’s views highlighted what he considers a musician’s ultimate duty.

“As an artist, you have one responsibility, and that's to tell the truth in your art,” he added. “If, however, you’re an artist that does have ideas about injustice and you censor yourself because you’re afraid you’re gonna lose radio play or fans will write nasty comments, then to me, you're doing yourself a great disservice.”

Meanwhile, Roger Waters has also targeted Ed Sheeran for remaining silent following Macklemore’s removal from their tour.

Elsewhere, a Pink Floyd insider revealed ongoing tensions separating Roger Waters and David Gilmour, while the bassist was also pulled into Sammy Hagar’s public dispute with Alex Van Halen, who recently expressed a desire to reconcile with his former Van Halen bandmate.