ADVERTISEMENT

Metallica Frontman Leaves Calif. Home Due to 'Elitist Attitude'

Musician James Hetfield of the band Metallica / AP
December 21, 2016

Metallica frontman James Hetfield said last week that he moved from his long-time home in San Francisco, California because he could not handle the city's "elitist attitude" anymore.

Hetfield spoke Friday with comedian Joe Rogan on his podcast the Joe Rogan Experience about his recent move. The heavy metal band's lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist left the Bay Area with his wife Francesca and their three teenage kids. Hetfield has lived in northern California for several decades but says he decided to leave because he is looked down upon by San Francisco residents, who are known for making up one of the most liberal communities in the country.

Hetfield said he was viewed negatively for his lifestyle and political views, claiming the San Francisco Bay Area only accepts diversity if "you're diverse like them."

"They talk about how diverse they are, and things like that, and it's fine if you're diverse like them. But showing up with a deer on the bumper doesn't fly in Marin County," Hetfield said. "My form of eating organic doesn't vibe with theirs."

Hetfield moved to his wife's hometown of Vail, Colorado because the metal band frontman loves being outdoors and enjoys to hunt.

"I feel more at home in the Midwest or the mountains or something," Hetfield told Rogan. "I mean, I love the ocean, and I love the Bay Area, I love what it's got to offer, but there's just an attitude that it was ... It wasn't healthy for me. [I was] starting to feel like I was just fighting all the time, and I just had to get out of my own head. So Colorado does it for me."

Published under: California