METALLICA's KIRK HAMMETT: 'We've Always Had An Open Mind Toward The Internet'

December 12, 2008

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett recently spoke to FresnoBee.com about the fact that his band, which took on Napster in an online battle for music copyrights, has now become a multiheaded behemoth on the Web.

On the LiveMetallica.com web site where fans can download audio from any of the band's concerts for $9.95-$12.95:

"I would say we have a very sensible approach. The model that we're trying to build, I think, is really working for us these days. LiveMetallica.com is just one of the coolest things that we could possibly do.

"Back in the day, in the early '90s, pre-Internet, we used to let the fans come to the concerts and tape the shows so they could have their own little memento. Now the Internet allows us to do that quickly, efficiently and have it in pretty good quality."
"We've always had an open mind toward the Internet and definitely noticed how much the Internet has changed the industry.

"We also saw the potential that using the Internet can bring to the band's cause and the band's mission."

On how METALLICA's approach is differents from that of RADIOHEAD, who perhaps made the biggest online splash of any band in recent memory with its pay-whatever-you-want model for "In Rainbows":

"Our approach to this is a lot different than RADIOHEAD's approach, which is throw the music out there and leave it in the hands of the listeners. What we try to do is come up with creative packages that will appeal to our core fans."

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