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Growing up in the 80s, instead of identifying as eleventy-five different genders, we identified as the music we listen to. As someone who identified as a metalhead - where if it wasn't metal, it was crap (shouts to Dee Snider) - it's refreshing to see Metallica's James Hetfield unite fans instead of dividing them with political rants. It's also sad that an artist choosing NOT to lecture you after you've taken out a second mortgage on your home to afford concert tickets is newsworthy, but that's apparently the world we live in.

Apropos of nothing, we should have listened to Lars when he tried warning us about Napster and file-sharing. We probably should have listened to Pearl Jam too when they tried warning us about Ticketmaster. But I digress.

Here's why Hetfield is going viral this week, addressing the faithful during a recent performance at The Sphere.

We're grateful for that - your travels, the money you spend, the time it took, thanks for coming to celebrate with us. nd I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK? We are here...no bullshit...we're here to forget about all the outside shit, OK? Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!

Now here's "Disposable Heroes" as everyone beats the crap out of each other in the pit.

Kidding. I'm the mean age of Metallica fans (50s). The mere thought of the pit is enough for my back to go out.

The streets are assuming this is in reference to the recent Macklemore brouhaha, where the rapper we all wish we weren't reminded of went off on an ignorant political rant about the Middle East, claiming something that isn't a genocide is a genocide because he doesn't know what a genocide is. Other musicians joined in. Headliner Ed Sheeran cried.

It was a whole to do for a week or so, but everyone has moved on to complaining about Shane Gillis. Something about the way women dress at the gym being a genocide.

Cheers to James Hetfield. And cheers to Metallica. The fact that I band I first discovered in the 7th grade lunchroom in 1987 is still going strong is satisfying.

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Brodigan is Grand Poobah of this here website and when he isn't writing words about things enjoys day drinking, pro-wrestling, and country music. You can find him on the Twitter too.

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