It's not easy getting older in the public eye.
That's more challenging if your W2 says "rock star" on it.
Aging rockers sometimes look a tad silly dressed up like they're still 20-something rebels. Hairlines recede. Bellies grow. For some, clinging to the latest cool trend is one way to stay forever young.
Just ask Bono and Bruce.
U2's lead singer and Springsteen have embraced the Left's causes du jour in recent months. For Bono, it's going all-in against ICE, no matter how many vicious killers the group gets off the street.
Springsteen, in turn, declared war on President Donald Trump, from his ICE maneuvers to anything else the real estate mogul might do. And, as a result, the aging rockers drew endless praise in the press.
Voila, they're relevant again. Even if Bono and co. will regret singing an ode to a woman who endangered herself in the most foolish way possible, leaving three children without a mother. Yes, we're talking about U2's "American Obituary," a song honoring the late Renee Good.
Metallica begs to differ.
The hard-rock titans are in their 60s now, and staying subversive seems like an impossible task. Yet lead singer James Hetfield may have done just that.
How? Respecting his fans. Refusing to lecture them from the stage. Tacitly acknowledging how silly it is for peers to ignore those realities without calling any of them out by name.
It's good to be a rock rebel. Still.
Hetfield went viral this week for a mid-concert commentary on what they will, and won't, do for their fans.
Metallica is currently playing a Las Vegas, NV residency — OK, that's not remotely cool but certainly practical. Hetfield took time out of a recent performance to share his approach to live performing.
Unless you live in Vegas, you've come a long way to spend some time with Metallica. We're grateful for that - your travels, the money you spend, the time it took, thanks for coming to celebrate with us ... And I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls***, OK? We are here...no bulls***...we're here to forget about all the outside s***, OK?
Shots fired!
Actually, no. Hetfield didn't name names. And the rockers who insist on lecturing their fans will keep doing just that. It's good virtue signaling and even better marketing for select circles.
They won't change. And shame won't change that fact.
Still, deep down, here's betting that even The Boss must feel a little guilty for charging fans such exorbitant prices to hear the same lectures Jimmy Kimmel doles out for free four times a week.
Maybe that keeps him up at night? Maybe not.
Still, in late 2026, honoring your fans and refusing to bludgeon them with canned talking points is as rock and roll as we can expect these days — no matter the age of the singer in question.
