Metallica Discovered Way To Make Touring 'Tolerable'

(hennemusic) As Metallica prepare to resume their WorldWired trek in support of "Hardwired�To Self-Destruct" at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL tonight, July 5th, drummer Lars Ulrich explains the band's approach to touring in a new interview with Newsweek.

"Not only do we tour a lot on the back of records, but we also tour even when there's no records," says Ulrich. "Touring is obviously an important thing for us - to get out and run away with the rock and roll circus, and increasingly now, with more of the far corners of the world opening up in terms of infrastructure and production elements. So there are more places you can play and more countries you can visit. You can play your own shows, you can play festivals."

Now performing dates in their fourth decade on the road, Ulrich reveals that Metallica has found a work/life balance that keeps things in perspective for all involved. "We kind of found a way to do it in a way that's tolerable," he explains. "We do it in two-week increments so we never leave home for more than two weeks and no one goes off the deep end or loses their mind. You minimize the risk of the whole thing derailing into the black abyss. We managed to get a functioning, balancing dynamic. We never feel like we're away from our domestic situations for too long. It's working for us.

"For me, getting out there, I'd say in my day the two hours onstage is the safest place. There's no one to bug me. I'm the captain of my own ship up there and the best thing in the world is those two hours up on stage." Read more including the upcoming tour dates here.

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