Of course, we are all disappointed that Metallica won’t be playing Sonic Temple or Louder Than Life. But really, when you stop and think about it, I am nothing but proud and supportive of James. Let’s be straight – we have lost a lot of great people recently including Chester, Chris, Keith and Scott. Something needs to change. As a rock community, we have to support those that are going to take a stand. And that is exactly what James is doing. He is changing his life’s direction to a better place and we should all find our own strength in honor of his courage.
When we learned about this, the DWP team went into overdrive to find amazing replacements for you. Honestly, given how close we are to Sonic Temple, I was worried about who would be available to play. I am extremely grateful that both Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool rearranged their schedules on short notice to fill in for Metallica at Sonic Temple. Both bands are excited to play Sonic Temple.
We are working furiously to find the best possible artists for Louder Than Life and will announce the full lineup soon.
I want to reiterate that Metallica has confirmed that they WILL still be performing two nights each at Epicenter, Welcome to Rockville and Aftershock as planned.
I am thrilled with the experience that you will get at all DWP festivals this year. We look forward to seeing you there.
- Danny Wimmer
Please see James Hetfield’s full statement regarding Metallica’s Sonic Temple and Louder Than Life performances: bit.ly/metstatement
