JAMES HETFIELD Talks About 'The Oyster That Took Down METALLICA'; Video Available

March 25, 2009

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke to MTV News about the cancellation of the band's March 8 show in Stockholm, Sweden, when he was hospitalized with a stomach bug and dehydration.

"It was at the very last show of the very last leg [of METALLICA's European tour], and there's a few places where we're able to do doubles [two shows in the same city], which is awesome, and this last one was in Sweden, in Stockholm," he said.

"We had done the first show, and there's not many times where all the support acts — we've got MACHINE HEAD, we've got THE SWORD out with us — there's not many places where we're all in the same town, at the same day off, together," he continued. "So there was a night where we went out and had a celebration between shows, and there was a bunch of food that was laid out that was maybe laid out a bit too long, I don't know."

According to Hetfield, he felt fine all night, but when he woke up the next morning, something was different.

"I just started to feel really bad," he said. "And man, I tried so hard to not cancel the show. It's so lame. It's tough to call in sick to our gig, and I don't want to disappoint people, and we're already there, the gear's there, but I was so sick I swear I could not stand without falling over. I was so dehydrated. The doctor came in, took my blood pressure — which was, like, 80 over 60 — and he had an IV of saline in his car, and he brought it in, he taped it up to the lamp next to the bed and plugged me in. But of course, the stuff's supposed to be at room temperature. It was freezing, and I went into this — my teeth were chattering. It was an event."

METALLICA has already announced a makeup date for the Stockholm show (April 5),and Hetfield said he's determined to take the stage that night.

"I'll be there. For sure. No oyster can stop me," he laughed. "The last time, it was a combination of, I think, bad food — salmonella — along with the stomach flu, and it knocked me out, man. Won't happen again."

Watch video footage of Hetfield talking about the Stockholm cancellation below.

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