Get ready, because this story is going to be exciting. Remember when Metallica, the band that started heavy metal music, performed with Lady Gaga at the Grammy Awards? It was in 2017, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where James Hetfield from Metallica and pop star Lady Gaga shared the stage for a breathtaking rendition of “Moth Into Flame”!
It was a strange yet exciting mix of rock and pop. This surprising teamup was made possible with a little help from Bradley Cooper; who invited both icons to a dinner party at his house. Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica, was seated next to Gaga when the incredible idea of a mashup popped into his head. He thought, “Wait a minute, this would be cool!”
Lady Gaga & Metallica – Moth Into Flame (Dress rehearsal) at the 59th Grammy Awards 2017
So he hurriedly asked Gaga if she wanted to join them at the Grammys. Gaga loved the idea and she happily aggreed, saying “Yeah, that would be great!.” And just like that they manifested the most legendary perfromance ever!
Gaga has always loved heavy metal music. She’s been to concerts for bands like “Iron Maiden” and “Anthrax,” and she even loves “Metal Militia,” one of Metallica’s early songs. Gaga showed up to “the Grammys” hours in advance to practice her part. Hetfield later praised her on “The Howard Stern Show,” calling her “extremely creative and a fearless artist.” Honestly, how many pop stars do you know who would put in that much effort?
Lady Gaga & Metallica – Moth Into Flame
On the night of the performance, a series of mishaps followed their trail. Laverne Cox introduced them for the crowd but forgot to mention Metallica’s name—awkward! And just when it couldn’t get worse, Hetfield’s microphone stopped working mid-perfromance–––Imagine him singing his heart out with no one being able to hear a word. Luckily, Gaga realised what was happening and rushed to share her mic with him. It turned into a special moment where they showed they could handle anything together.
After the show, Hetfield admitted he felt embarrassed and angry about the mic problem. “I haven’t been that angry in a long time,” he said. Lars agreed on “The Late Late Show,” saying things were tense backstage for a bit. It was layter discovered that a ‘stage-helper’ accidentally unplugged a wire right before they went live! A tiny cable caused all that trouble.
Metallica: Moth Into Flame (Official Music Video)
Hetfield later told the New York Post that it ended up being a blessing because he got to sing into Gaga’s mic—maybe even more than she wanted! “It felt more like a real collaboration because of that,” he said. That little mistake made the performance even more memorable.
In the end, both Metallica and Lady Gaga were able to handle everything like professionals. And their Grammy performance became a legendary mix of rock and pop that’ll be remembered for years. Sometimes when things go wrong on stage, artists can shine even brighter together—showing us all that music really brings people together.