Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has announced that he will be hosting a weekly radio show on Apple Music’s Beats1. Ulrich’s new show will be called It’s Electric! , and it is touted as an international music show featuring new music that Lars has taken a shine to, as well as interviews with musical notables.
The Metallica drummer’s new show will premiere tomorrow, on May 7 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific time. Lars described the show on Metallica’s website.
“We look at international bands for an international audience. This is like my 16 year-old self’s wet dream, doing a radio show to a worldwide audience… I mean, seriously, it just doesn’t get f***ing cooler than that, does it?”
Ulrich went on to say that he was going to play primarily “cool music” from “cool bands” that you’ve never heard of. Additionally, fans of Metallica will be excited to hear that Lars plans on regaling listeners with plenty of stories from the road, (and given Metallica’s extensive career, there should be plenty of stories to draw from). The first episode of Ulrich’s It’s Electric! will feature an interview with Iggy Pop. Metallica recently performed with the rock legend when they played in Mexico, performing Pop’s “T.V. Eye” with the punk icon.
Lars Ulrich has been a polarizing figure in rock and roll from day one. The outspoken co-creator of Metallica, Ulrich has never been one to hide his views on… well, anything. Lars came to prominence on his own as the proverbial whipping boy for his courageous stance against Napster in 2000. Despite standing elbow to elbow with music legends like Paul McCartney, Dr. Dre, and U2 against the music streaming service, it was Metallica’s Ulrich who took the brunt of the criticism.
Ulrich has been neck-deep in the rock lifestyle since his early teens, when he started following Motorhead around Europe, ending up on the band’s bus and trying to go drink for drink with Lemmy Kilmister. It was a friendship that started with Lars puking all over Motorhead’s bus and lasted through Lemmy’s death last year, culminating with Metallica recording a tribute song to the rock legend titled, “Murder One.”
The title of Ulrich’s radio show, It’s Electric! , is a clear riff on a song Metallica did on their cover collection, Garage Inc. , of a Diamond Head song called “It’s Electric.” The co-host of Lars’ radio show – or “sidekick” as he’s referred to as in the promo – is Steffan Chirazi. Stefan has long worked with the band as the editor of Metallica’s monthly fan magazine, So What!, and has taken on numerous other editorial duties on Metallica’s website and in the various books that Metallica and its individual members have released.
The question that is probably on a lot of Metallica fans’ minds is when in the world is Lars Ulrich going to find the time to record a weekly radio show? Metallica’s WorldWired North American summer stadium tour starts next week in Baltimore and runs through the middle of August. And the band doesn’t stop there. Starting in September, Metallica will start playing dates in Europe through next May, which means that Lars and company won’t be taking a break from the road for over a year from now. However, when you’re in a band like Metallica, touring is no longer a round the clock, non-stop endeavor. “Age appropriate touring,” is what Ulrich calls it. The band is scheduled to do about two weeks on the road, followed by a two-week break so that they can come back home to spend time with their families, (and, presumably, to record a few episodes of It’s Electric! ).
[Featured Image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]
