Wanna visit India again: Metallica

Metallica insist disastrous Delhi gig hasn't ruled out another India tour. The band who couldn't perform in Delhi due to 'techical reasons', says their Bangalore performance was an awesome and overwhelming experience.

On October 28, Metallica's Delhi performance was cancelled at the last moment due to 'technical reasons.' But it was widely believed that the show was canned because the stage setup didn't meet the band's requirements after they inspected it before the performance.

So what's the real story behind the fiasco? "We have already released a statement on the same and would not like to comment beyond that," says drummer Lars Ulrich, when asked.

Two days later on October 30, Metallica finally played to 40,000 delirious fans at Bangalore's Palace Grounds. Says lead vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield, "It was an awesome experience to have played here to a wonderful audience. It was overwhelming to receive lots of love and support from the fans." Lars adds, "We would love to visit India again. I guess that says it all."

Metallica had performed in the country as part of their promotions for their album, Lulu, which was released in September. The band has collaborated with rock singer, Lou Reed on this project.

"Two years ago in Madison Square Garden, the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame was throwing a 25th year celebratory bash. They had actually asked us if we would host a segment. Our job was to find other artistes to perform and collaborate with. On top of that list was an obvious choice, Lou Reed, whom I think is kind of a solo version of Metallica. We've always seen a lot of the band in Lou, and just felt that that was the most obvious place to start," says Lars.

Till date, Lulu, has received the worst critical reception for any Metallica album in recent years. So, do such bad reviews affect the heavy-metal veterans? Says Lars, "We have read a lot of reviews. They were quite interesting, as people haven't focused on what the album really is." James points out, "Anyway the album is very special to us and we had a fantastic experience recording it."