Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica, would be one of the top contenders for inclusion if the heavy metal community had its own Mount Rushmore. He and James Hetfield originally joined forces in October 1981, when they formed Metallica and set out to ride the lightning and popularize metal. Since then, Ulrich has received praise from fans for his distinctive beats and energizing energy as well as criticism from critics for becoming embroiled in some of Metallica’s biggest scandals. Being vocal has made Ulrich a divisive character in the music business, but as he admitted to Vulture, he possesses the ability to believe and say anything at one point in time while subsequently changing his mind. The bottom line is that he is never a dull interview subject.
Ulrich’s entire life must be examined in order to fully understand who he is and how his experiences contributed to his development into a heavy metal icon. Let’s examine the life and times of Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, from his struggle to choose between music and tennis to his onstage altercation with James Hetfield.
HE COMES FROM A FAMILY OF SPORTS STARS
It’s not unexpected that Lars Ulrich hails from a creative family. His father, Torben (pictured), poured himself into poetry, movies, and even music as he played with jazz legend Louis Armstrong, as was revealed in Sports Illustrated. Torben’s professional tennis career, in which he competed at the highest level and more than 100 times represented Denmark in the Davis Cup, is, nevertheless, what is most well-known about him.
As his parents were both outstanding sportsmen, Torben Ulrich revealed in an interview with So What! that a passion for sports goes even further back in the Ulrich family. He talked about how his father, Einer, played football for the Danish team now known as F.C. Copenhagen and even later in life turned into a referee for league games. In his native nation, he also competed in tennis and won championships. Torben described how his mother Ulla played tennis as well and won her own titles. Torben claimed that Einer and Ulla never achieved mixed doubles success on the major stage despite sharing a passion for the game.
DEEP PURPLE MADE LARS ULRICH FALL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC
Songs fascinate and entice listeners through various and crucial periods of their lives, and music is all around us. There are, however, some “a-ha” moments or unique encounters that transform casual listeners into ardent fans who wish to become musicians as well. The same thing happened to Lars Ulrich, who admitted to Radio that his career in music was shaped by his strong affection for the English rock band Deep Purple.
Ulrich added that Deep Purple was regarded as the top of the tops in Denmark while he was growing up, so he naturally gravitated toward their music. “They have probably been the primary musical backbone in my body ever since I first heard them when I was 9 years old,” Ulrich stated.
Ulrich and Metallica later provided a cover of “When a Blind Man Cries” for the Deep Purple tribute album “Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple’s Machine Head” (through Metallica), paying the ultimate honor to the band. Metallica has also performed live renditions of other Deep Purple songs, including a powerful metal version of “Mistreated” in 1992.
HE TURNED DOWN A TENNIS CAREER AFTER SEEING THE PASSION AND POWER OF MUSIC
There was an expectation that Lars would follow in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and grandmother and compete on the biggest tennis court in the world because the Ulrich family had a strong connection to the game. He had the same goal when he was a teenager and had came to America from Denmark with the intention of becoming a professional tennis player, according to Kerrang. But when Ulrich discovered the power of drums, distortion, and electrifying live events in Los Angeles’ nightlife, the visions of flawless serves and rackets came to an end. He progressively lost interest in tennis as he grew enthralled by the ambiance and mystique around music as a whole.
The tennis player admitted, “I was beginning to realize that if I wanted to truly get anywhere playing tennis, I would have to spend eight hours a day on the court, and there was this grind in front of me that didn’t have nearly the same allure anymore.”
Ulrich continued by saying that he didn’t suddenly decide to give up tennis and focus on music. Instead, it was a procedure that happened gradually.
HE EXPERIENCES TINNITUS AFTER YEARS OF PLAYING WITH METALLICA
While Metallica may have a few slower songs like “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters,” for the most part, their music is turned up to eleven. The music is loud as a klaxon, strong, and quick. Early on, Lars Ulrich would simply walk onto the stage, pound his drums, and become absorbed in the rumbling sound, never paying much attention to the volume levels around him. He stated to CNN that as a result, he started to lose his hearing and develop tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.
During a 1988 tour, Ulrich became aware that his hearing had been affected. He claimed that he frequently slept off while the television was on and would wake up in the middle of the night to turn it off. “However, it wasn’t really on. When I noticed that I was regularly getting up to turn off a TV that wasn’t even on, I understood that perhaps I was having some problems.”
The drummer for Metallica said that following this, he started to protect his ears, but the tinnitus persisted and he had to learn to live with it. He therefore urges others to safeguard and preserve their hearing before it’s too late because he is more keenly aware of the harm loud music may cause.
HE SAYS NOEL GALLAGHER INSPIRED HIM TO GIVE UP DRUGS
Despite the fact that Oasis is regarded as a foundational band of the 1990s Britpop era, Noel (pictured) and Liam Gallagher are as well-known for their animosity and the never-ending controversies that accompany them. Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica, confessed to Mirror that Noel did once do something good that motivated him to stop a harmful habit.
Ulrich admitted that he didn’t drink as much as his bandmates and pals did when Metallica got drunk. He started using cocaine after learning that it would keep him awake and prevented him from falling asleep as frequently as he used to. Ulrich recalled reading an interview with Noel Gallagher from years prior in which he stated, “I just stopped smoking cocaine.” “That struck me as extremely cool: I adore that aspect of him; it felt so new, honest, and pure. I don’t have an addicted nature, so one day I woke up and declared, “Enough.””
Metallica hasn’t, however, evolved into Hulk Hogan, who counsels kids to pray and take their vitamins. The band can still have fun when they want to, said Ulrich.
LARS ULRICH STILL SHIVERS THINKING ABOUT METALLICA’S FIRST GIG
To be fair, most musicians look back with horror at their earliest performances. It can be because of their outdated hairstyles and hideous attire, or perhaps it’s because they weren’t the most skilled performers onstage at the time. But for Lars Ulrich, it was for a different reason, the same one that gives every musician a chill when they first decide to play live.
Ulrich spoke with Classic Rock about the specifics of Metallica’s 1982 debut performance. The first song they performed was “Hit the Lights,” but their guitarist at the moment, Dave Mustaine, had a huge mishap when his guitar string snapped in the middle of the song. Before the next song, the guitarist needed to restring his instrument, so there was an awkward pause as he did it.
Ulrich stated, “I was simply sitting up there trying to hide behind these drums. “It was the most peculiar thing. However, Dave put the guitar back together, and we ultimately finished the set. But there was a noticeable lull. Trust me, just thinking about it makes me shudder.”
HE HAS A FAVORITE METALLICA SONG TO PLAY LIVE
Every time someone asks an artist about their favorite song or album, the answer they invariably give is the most recent one. This is a cliche in the music industry. From a marketing perspective, it makes sense; a performer would always want to promote their most recent work to generate interest in it, even if it means lying a small white lie in the process. However, Lars Ulrich isn’t known for going against the grain, so when asked which Metallica song was his favorite, he gave an unexpected response.
“Sad but True,” he remarked to GQ. “I simply adore performing that song. Every time, I slightly alter how I play it. Every time I perform it, I enjoy interpreting it differently based on the tempo.”
The song, which comes from the band’s self-titled 1991 album, is extremely well-liked by both Metallica fans and other musicians. The tune was sampled by Kid Rock for his single “American Bad A**,” and a Mongolian cover version of the song was made by The Hu.
HE CREDITS JAMES HETFIELD FOR HELPING HIM GET OUT OF FIGHTS
James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich have been wed for more than 40 years in the music industry. With each contributing significantly to Metallica’s success and legacy, the two bandmates have experienced both the highs and lows of the band together. There have been times when they haven’t gotten along because they have been recording and traveling together for so long; the documentary “Some Kind of Monster” notoriously highlighted many of their problems.
But in the end, Ulrich and Hetfield had a unique connection. They share a kinship that is uncommon in other bands because they have managed to stay as Metallica for such a long time despite internal strife and personal problems. Ulrich revealed Hetfield had hit him in the face during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” because the frontman didn’t like how the drummer had performed a song. Ulrich did, however, mention that Hetfield has stood by him when he has engaged in conflict with others.
The drummer referred to Hetfield as his “big brother,” adding that Hetfield would step in to diffuse disputes for him if he got into tense circumstances as a result of talking too much.
HE REGRETS TURNING DOWN QUENTIN TARANTINO’S REQUEST TO USE METALLICA’S MUSIC
Metallica is accustomed to having their music featured in movies and television shows. The heavy metal group contributed the delicious single “I Disappear” to the “Mission: Impossible 2” soundtrack, and their thrashing masterpiece “Master of Puppets” was a pivotal plot point in the “Stranger Things” Season 4 finale.
In fact, the band was given the chance to have their music included in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” but they declined the director’s request. In an opinion piece he penned for The Daily Beast titled “My Favorite Mistake,” Lars Ulrich admitted that it is something he regrets.
Ulrich talked about meeting Tarantino over dinner, and how the director suggested using “Enter Sandman” and “Sad but True” in two combat sequences from “Kill Bill.” Ulrich was given the script by the director to read, but the musician claimed he didn’t understand it all at the time. Ulrich acknowledged that he wanted to approve Tarantino’s film, but he never did. He understood it was a rare wasted opportunity for Metallica and himself after watching what the director did with “Kill Bill.” Despite this, he is still a huge fan of Tarantino’s films.
HE OPENLY ADMITS TO BEING AN IMPATIENT PERSON
One thing is quite evident if you watch any live Metallica performance or an interview with Lars Ulrich: He is a dynamic person. His posture and charisma convey a sense of energy and a get-up-and-go attitude. Ulrich acknowledged being a very energized and passionate person in an interview with the Scandinavian talk show Skavlan in 2016. However, this does have a significant side impact on others in his immediate vicinity.
My impatience is my breaking point, he admitted. “And I’m constantly like, “Come on, let’s start.” Who or what are we? C’mon.’ Therefore, it irritates me when individuals are kind of slouching and wandering around. So it’s like, let’s start moving quickly.”
Ulrich’s sense of urgency has unquestionably been a plus for Metallica as well. His tenacity and perseverance were crucial in getting the band off the ground in the first place and have sustained Metallica for more than 40 years.
HE’S A BIG FAN OF RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Metallica has always been proud of their influences, including the Misfits. Since it’s out there for everyone to hear, it’s simple to identify the group’s music’s hefty doses of punk, thrash, classic rock, and metal. Lars Ulrich is not limited to the same tastes merely because Metallica lists some bands as inspirations.
Ulrich has admitted to listening to a little Rage Against the Machine (pictured) to set the mood for the day on more than a few occasions. He admitted to Classic Rock that he spent a lot of time during the epidemic singing along to Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled album and that he enjoyed singing karaoke to the band’s gritty song “Killing in the Name.”
However, Ulrich’s musical tastes go beyond the hard rock and heavy metal subgenres. He admitted to Mirror in 2014 that he anticipated seeing artists like the Black Keys, the Horrors, and Dolly Parton at Glastonbury.
LARS ULRICH PROVIDED SAGE ADVICE TO HIS MUSICIAN SONS
Two of Lars’ kids, Myles and Layne (pictured), are also musicians who are determined to make a career out of it, demonstrating the depth of the Ulrich family’s enthusiasm for music. In fact, Lars was so ecstatic about his lads that he raved to Rolling Stone in 2020 about their rendition of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.”
After that, in 2021, Myles and Layne started the independent band Taipei Houston, with Myles on drums and Layne on vocals and bass, according to NME. As they revealed to Rock Sound, their father has been supportive of their efforts and has given them wise and useful counsel.
Myles noted that most of Lars’ advice had to do with how the music business operated and encouraged them to play now rather than wait around for the proper opportunities. The fact that Taipei Houston performed alongside the Melvins and swiftly signed with C3 Records following their formation suggests that the Ulrich sons took their father’s instructions.
