U2's Bono and Black Eyed Peas' Fergie
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — For the second night in a row, Tom Hanks walked onstage at Madison Square Garden to do the introduction for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert, and for the second night in a row some of the greatest rock acts of all time shared the stage. Performances varied from classic hits to once-in-a-lifetime collaborations as Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck, Metallica and U2 all brought out big-name guests.

Jerry Lee Lewis got things started again, this time performing "Great Balls Fire" and literally kicking down his seat before exiting to make way for the rest of the acts. Franklin took the stage in a red dress that was outshined only by the sound of her voice as she opened the night with "A Natural Woman." Her set included a collaboration with Annie Lennox and one with Lenny Kravitz, who added his voice to her classic hit "Think." When asked afterward how her duet with Lenny came about, she said it was due to his friendship with her son, who also happened to play lead guitar for her band that night.

Next, one of the all-time great guitar players performed as a replacement for a reportedly ailing Eric Clapton. This seemed fitting, since in the 1960s, Jeff Beck was Eric's bandmate in the Yardbirds with Jimmy Page. Jeff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame this year, and on Friday night he reminded everyone why it was an honor that was well deserved. Sting, Buddy Guy and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top each took a shot at matching their voice to Jeff's guitar, and each felt like a an experiment in music that went terribly right, especially when Beck and Gibbons recreated Jimmy Hendrix's masterpiece "Foxy Lady." No voice was needed for Jeff's final performance of the night, as he paid tribute to the Beatles with an instrumental version of "A Day in the Life." It was one worthy of the highest allowable score on "Beatles Rock Band."

	Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert

Metallica brought more than just metal when they hit the stage. Starting off with "For Whom the Bell Tolls," the boys were then joined by Lou Reed, before succumbing to the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. Together they paid tribute to Black Sabbath by performing "Iron Man" and "Paranoid." Then things took an unexpected turn when Metallica teamed up with the Kinks frontman Ray Davies, giving a metal edge to the punk classic "You Really Got Me." Before calling it a night, the boys ended the show with one of their biggest hits of all time, "Enter Sandman." This had its own unexpected twist, as Yankee footage began to play on the monitors above them for no apparent reason. Then again, this is New York during the World Series.

The final and maybe biggest act of the second night at MSG was U2. First, they shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, performing "Because the Night," a song Bono said his band only wishes they could have written. His passion for the track became even more apparent when he decided to do it a second time because it was clean on the first take. Bruce stayed on for one more song, lending his voice to the classic U2 song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." The next collaboration was one that included a much younger act, by Hall of Fame standards, when the Black Eyed Peas came out to sing "Where is the Love." Fergie stuck around when Mick Jagger came out to perform "Gimme Shelter." Mick and Bono kept the energy high, turning "Stuck in a Moment" into a duet. And finally, U2 performed "Beautiful Day," bringing the night to a beautiful end.

• Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert

• U2
• Metallica
• Black Eyed Peas

Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate its 25th anniversary in style on October 29 and 30 with a pair of all-star shows at Madison Square Garden.

On the bill for the first night are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Simon & Garfunkel; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends; Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder. The next night will feature sets from Metallica, U2, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin, plus more performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

All the acts on the bill are Rock Hall inductees, and the announcement of the show promises that the "music legends and their special guests will be your guides through 60 years of rock and roll history."

Net proceeds from the show will go to create a permanent endowment for the Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. A highlight special from the two-night show will be screened on HBO. General-public tickets will go on sale August 3, but title sponsor American Express is offering cardholders a presale from July 27 to August 2 that features VIP packages priced from $750 to $100,000.

Rolling Stone magazine reported that the shows will feature a number of collaborations, including CSN sharing the stage with other California-based artists, Metallica leading a hard-rock jam, and Wonder and Franklin fronting a soul revue backed by Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra.

As noted in The New York Times, the math on the anniversary date is a bit fuzzy, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was founded in 1983 and the first induction ceremony was in January 1986. Among the creative consultants on the show are actor Tom Hanks, filmmaker Cameron Crowe, rock icon Robbie Robertson and Rolling Stone magazine boss and Hall chairman Jann Wenner.

Event executive producer Wenner said in a statement, "Twenty-five years ago ... Ahmet Ertegun created this foundation to recognize and celebrate the music and careers of artists whose music helped shape and define our generation. These once-in-a-lifetime concerts are designed to celebrate the artists and their music."

• Metallica
• U2
• Bruce Springsteen

Peter Móren of Peter Bjorn and John
Photo: MTV News

Based on the strength of a whistled refrain, Peter Bjorn and John became everyone's favorite band in 2007. Two years later, they've returned with a brand-new album — one that features absolutely zero whistling.

"We had to ban it from the new album," PB&J's Peter Móren told MTV News. "We did use it on the last album. We put out an instrumental record last year — Seaside Rock — and we have whistling on that, but not a lot of people noticed. But it's not on the new album. It hasn't been banned from the gigs, though. Not yet."

So if you were a fan of the group's ultra-ubiquitous "Young Folks" (you know, the one with the whistle), you're probably going to have a hard time getting into Living Thing, their new album, which hit stores last week. And, of course, that was intentional, because Peter Bjorn and John are officially over the whistle.

"There's always pressure to make something different, but that's not because of that song; that's because you want to change your sound around and do new stuff," Móren said. "But that would've happened regardless of success. We would've changed anyway."

So they drew inspiration from a couple of rather, uh, disparate sources — like Jay-Z and Metallica. It might seem odd, but all it takes is one listen to Living Thing's infectious first single, "Nothing to Worry About," to understand how it all fits together.

"We listened to Jay-Z's 'Hard Knock Life' with the 'Annie' sample, and we needed clear, bright voices going straight through little radios," Móren smiled. "So we recorded with a children's choir. Plus, you know, cheap labor."

OK, we'll buy that. But what about Metallica? How did a trio of Swedes usurp the sheer riffage of one of hard rock's heaviest? Well, rather easily. And with reggae.

"Every album is important. It's hard to see the progression from album to album; you're looking forward 10 years, when you have 10 albums or something, and you can see how everything happens gradually. And I think Seaside Rock was an important part of that," Móren said. "If we would've gone straight from Writer's Block to Living Thing, it would've sounded less interesting. Because that was just letting off steam in the studio. [It was] a bit like 'Some Kind of Monster,' the Metallica [documentary], but rather than bringing in the psychotherapist, we played around with riffs and melodies."

• Peter Bjorn and John
• Metallica
• Jay-Z

Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage.com

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is all about honoring the past achievements of legendary artists who helped build the rebel foundation of the genre. But on Saturday night (April 4) in Cleveland, it was a pair of contemporary artists who showed the crowd how those wild and wooly seeds sown by a ragtag group of rockabilly shouters, soul stirrers, boogie-woogie piano bangers and country hollerers more than half a century ago have grown to include everything from hip-hop to heavy metal.

One of the night's highlights was a moving induction speech from Eminem, making a rare public appearance to honor his musical heroes, Run-DMC, only the second hip-hop act to enter the Hall. "Two turntables and a microphone, that's all it took to change the world," Em said, his all-black ensemble inspired by the Queens trio's signature look. Praising their music's ability to spread hip-hop around the world, Em said there was something about the sound made by rappers Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and late DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell that "grabbed hold of my ears and changed my life."

Repeating the simple refrain, "two turntables and a microphone," like a mantra, Em described Run-DMC as, "something fresh, something tough. Something dangerous. Something beautiful and something unique. Two turntables and a microphone."

Run and DMC graciously accepted the award surrounded by their families and that of Mizell, paying irreverent homage to Run's brother, Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, for his wacky idea of mixing rock and rap. DMC, who learned just a few years ago that he was adopted, also urged the crowd, "The best thing y'all can do is give love to a kid, because that kid may grow up and be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day."

This year's ceremony was back in Cleveland, home of the Hall of Fame building, for the first time since the first-ever induction ceremony in 1997. And for the first time, the general public was allowed to buy tickets to the event, held at Cleveland's Public Auditorium. That suited honorees Metallica just fine, as the Bay Area masters of metal repeatedly gave shout-outs to the thousands of head-banging followers who have made them one of the biggest metal bands in rock history.

Appearing onstage with ex-bassist Jason Newsted for the first time in more than eight years, as well as with the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, guitarist/singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, all reflected on the job they likened to a brotherhood built on rock-and-roll fantasies.

"I think rock and roll is about possibilities and about dreams," Ulrich said, as the band took the stage following a funny, profane, reverent induction by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. "The fact that the six of us can be up on the stage tonight, snot-nosed kids, outcasts, loners who grew up in very different parts of the world, in very different situations and make it here tonight, to this wonderful night in front of all these people down here ... Rock and roll truly is about possibilities. Look at us. Metallica's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Can you f---ing believe that?"

Hetfield encouraged young musicians, "Dream big and dare to fail. ... I dare you to do that. Because this is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true."

The band concluded with a murderous set that began with their classic, genre-defining metal anthem, "Master of Puppets," and segued into a menacing, vein-popping trip through another modern heavy metal cornerstone, "Enter Sandman."

The show opened with inductees Little Anthony and the Imperials harmonizing on a medley of classic songs, including their swaying doo-wop staple "Tears on My Pillow." Founding singer Anthony Gourdine, 69, hit his signature falsetto notes, working the stage despite a shoulder injury he sustained Friday morning.

The group was inducted by Hall of Famer and Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who said of his lifelong friends, "It is a joy for me to be here for what I consider a long-overdue event. ... I think they are one of the greatest groups to have ever decided to sing together."

British guitar god Jeff Beck, 64, became a rare two-time honoree — he was previously inducted as a member of the Yardbirds — when he was called up again by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in honor of his 40-year career of electric six-string wizardry in genres ranging from rock to blues and fusion jazz. Joined by Page, Beck gave the crowd a taste of his blistering chops with a thundering blues-jam meltdown take on Zep's "Immigrant Song."

Also inducted was Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson, 71, who blazed a trail for female rock singers with her raw, uninhibited work on such early hits as "Let's Have a Party." She was inducted by country royalty Roseanne Cash, daughter of the late Johnny Cash, who proclaimed, "For girls with guitars, myself included, Wanda was the beginning of rock and roll. Everyone who cares about roots music and rock and roll reveres Wanda. But in particular, every young woman I know, musician or otherwise, worship her as the prototype, the first female rock star."

Cleveland native and soul giant Bobby Womack, 65, ("Looking for a Love," "Across 110th Street") was inducted by the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, which was fitting, since Womack wrote the Stones' first #1 UK hit, "It's All Over Now." Womack reminisced about being a guitar player for Sam Cooke. "The last song he wrote, he made a statement, and that statement was 'A Change Is Gonna Come.' ... When I think about it, that subject has come up again. A change has come," referring to the election of Barack Obama.

Among the sidemen inducted on Saturday night were Muscle Shoals band keyboard master Spooner Oldham (Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan) and two members of Elvis' band, bassist Bill Black and legendary drummer D.J. Fontana.

The night ended with the obligatory all-star jam, which featured all the members of Metallica, plus Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Flea, Page, Beck and Wood cranking up the aggression for a snarling, guitar-geek-nirvana version of the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'."

Artists are eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 "rock experts" who evaluate each candidate.

• 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

• Metallica
• Run-D.M.C.
• Eminem
• Red Hot Chili Peppers

Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Embraced by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for more than 25 years of brutally melodic, cathartic hard rock, Metallica stayed true to their pledge and made their induction Saturday night a generous family affair, and a throat-punching throwdown.

Ex-bassist Jason Newsted — who was ousted from the group eight years ago — guitarist/singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, along with the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, paid homage to the brotherhood that lifted a scrappy band of speed-demon metalists to the pinnacles of rock-and-roll success. Then they capped the night by showing the room full of their musical heroes the lessons they've learned along the way in a no-holds-barred set that included "Master of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman."

The group was inducted by pal and fellow rock survivor Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. With his hair dyed blue and wearing a vintage Metallica T-shirt under a green blazer, Flea recalled the first time he heard Metallica, in 1984 while on tour with the Peppers. It was 3 in the morning, they were tired, crammed into a van and sick of being on the road, and "this music comes on the radio, and I couldn't believe that it f---ing existed," Flea said, as Hetfield jokingly covered his daughter's ears. "It was like I had been living in this normal world, where I knew what everything was that came on the radio, and all of a sudden my mind was being blown by this beautiful, violent thing that was unlike anything I had ever heard before in my life."

Flea profanely described staring at the radio in awe at this music that was explosive, precise, aggressive and intense, with wild and bizarre rhythm changes that he couldn't describe. "I didn't know what it was; the only thing I knew for sure was that it was a mighty thing," he said of "Fight Fire with Fire," likening Metallica's unique sound to a rarified "cosmic chemistry" and paying moving homage to the special gift of late bassist Burton, who died in 1986 in a bus accident while on tour with the group.

"When a person gets rocking to their music, everything else disappears, and that person is just one with the rock," Flea said. "It is an inexplicable, awesome thing, and I bow down to it."

Newsted, his voice cracking with emotion, expressed his joy at being asked to participate in the event and the opportunity to spend nearly two decades with Metallica, engaging in what he called "heavy metal ambassadorship." His feelings were seconded by Trujillo, who referred to the band's ongoing creative career as a masterpiece.

By the time drummer Ulrich got the podium, there weren't many people left to thank, so he made sure to give a hearty shout out to the people in the balcony, a.k.a. the fans. "I think rock and roll is about possibilities and about dreams," he said. "The fact that the six of us can be up on the stage tonight, snot-nosed kids, outcasts, loners who grew up in very different parts of the world, in very different situations and make it here tonight, to this wonderful night in front of all these people down here ... Rock and roll truly is about possibilities. Look at us. Metallica's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Can you f---ing believe that?"

Sporting a blond mowhawk, Hetfield started his thanks with a list of bands he'd like to see enter next, which included Kiss, Rush, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent, Iron Maiden and Motorhead. He also dedicated the award to the young musicians trying to make it. "Dream big and dare to fail," he said. "I dare you to do that. Because this is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true."

The band put the exclamation point on their induction with a murderous set on a bare bones stage. Hetfield and Hammett began by clicking into a blazing guitar boogie in the intro to their classic metal anthem, "Master of Puppets." Ulrich's pounding jazz fills and the throbbing double-headed bass thrums from Newsted and Trujillo gave the already pummeling song an even more ominous stomp, with the one-time-only five-man band easily slipping into the group's notoriously tight and heavy musical pocket.

For nearly nine minutes, in what is surely the heaviest tune to ever rock the stage at the ceremony, the precision changes and blazing power that earned the band its spot in the Hall were on full display. The menacing rattle continued during an equally punishing "Enter Sandman," which the band played for the coliseum full of rock dignitaries and a handful of fans with the same vein-popping intensity they muster during their legendarily sweaty stadium and arena shows.

• 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

• Metallica

Run-DMC
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

In years past, there were always a few things you could count on at the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony: some salty induction speeches (like Madonna's last year), bands awkwardly reuniting with members past and trying to make nice but not performing together (as Van Halen did when they were inducted) and others who gladly performed but refused to make nice (as when Blondie were inducted into the Hall in 2006).

This year's ceremony — which takes place on Saturday night near the actual Rock Hall in Cleveland for the first time in more than a decade — promises a little bit of all three scenarios as the Hall welcomes such icons as Metallica, Run-DMC and Jeff Beck.

The likeliest suspects for onstage tension, hard-rock icons Metallica, have already said they're not interested in any drama, as evidenced by their decision to invite ousted bassist Jason Newsted to perform with them alongside current bassist Robert Trujillo. Frontman James Hetfield has promised that instead of tension, the group will make the night a celebration of their long career.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, Metallica rose from humble beginnings to become one of the biggest and most influential heavy-metal bands on the planet. Their 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All, is widely considered one of the first thrash-metal albums, thanks to its blitzkrieg riffs and breakneck tempo. Their subsequent albums — 1984's Ride the Lightning, 1986's Master of Puppets and 1988's ... And Justice for All — saw the band expanding not just their sound, but their audience. Their self-titled 1991 album (also known as The Black Album for its iconic onyx cover) made them one of the biggest bands in the world, with a long run at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling a staggering 22 million copies worldwide. Last year, they released the return-to-form Death Magnetic, which also debuted atop the Billboard charts and was one of 2008's biggest-selling albums.

Though they no longer perform together and are rarely seen in the same room, founding Run-DMC members Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels will take the stage Saturday night after being inducted by none other than Eminem in one of his first major public appearances in several years.

As only the second induction of a hip-hop group to enter the hall, the inclusion of the Queens, New York trio — DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell was murdered in a still-unsolved 2002 ambush — is ironic, given that Run-DMC's 1985 video for "King of Rock" shows them wreaking havoc in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nine years before the actual museum opened.

The trio famously formed in Hollis, Queens, in the early '80s and released their debut single, "It's Like That," in 1983. Their first three albums (1984's self-titled debut, 1985's King of Rock and 1986's Raising Hell) are considered to be among the most important hip-hop albums ever released. With their stylish dress, sample-heavy tracks and streetwise lingo, the group is often credited with bringing hip-hop to the mainstream. They gave the genre credibility when they teamed up with Aerosmith for the hit "Walk This Way," were the first rap group to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and were one of the first hip-hop acts to have videos in constant rotation on MTV.

Run-DMC disbanded in 2002 following Mizell's murder, but in 2007, MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust named them the Greatest Hip-Hop Group of All Time.

The roster of inductees also includes guitar legend Jeff Beck, 64, the laconic Englishman who is one of the rare breed of rock legends to make it into the Hall as a solo artist and a bandleader — honored in 1992 for his work with the Yardbirds, in which he succeeded fellow Hall of Famer Eric Clapton.

Beck — known for his dynamic playing, intricate rock instrumentals and later excursions into jazz rock and jazz fusion — is perhaps best known for his work with the blues rock godheads the Yardbirds, who produced such landmark singles as "Heart Full of Soul" and "I'm a Man," during his tenure. He also led the Jeff Beck Group, whose first incarnation featured Rod Stewart on vocals and later Rolling Stones member Ron Wood.

Among other honorees are early doo-wop vocal group Little Anthony & the Imperials, led by powerful vocalist Anthony Gourdine, 69, who is heard on such indelible hits as "Tears on My Pillow" and such later pop-soul hits as "Goin' out of My Head."

The Hall will also welcome the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, 71, who blazed a trail for female rock singers with her raw, uninhibited work on such early hits as "Let's Have a Party" and "Right or Wrong." Rounding out the performers list is soul/gospel powerhouse and Cleveland native, Bobby Womack, 65, who began his career playing guitar in Sam Cooke's band and went on to a long career as a session guitarist (Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles), songwriter (Wilson Pickett, Janis Joplin) and solo star in the 1970s with such gospel-tinged soul hits as "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "If You Think You're Lonely Now."

Also entering the Hall in the sidemen category is Bill Black, the late bassist for Elvis Presley who was present at the recording of the King's first single for Sun Records in July 1954 and who is credited with helping to come up with the rocked-up arrangement for Presley's signature early single, "That's All Right." Joining Black in that category is Elvis' legendary drummer, D.J. Fontana, 78, considered the first rockabilly drummer and best known for his laid-back, no frills style.

The sidemen category will also welcome Muscle Shoals Sound progenitor keyboardist/vocalist Spooner Oldham, 65, who has played on such landmark tracks as Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," as well as sessions with everyone from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to Cat Power and the Drive-By Truckers.

Among the scheduled presenters at the ceremony in the Public Auditorium in Cleveland are Jimmy Page, the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, Flea (who will induct Metallica) and Smokey Robinson.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 "rock experts" who evaluate each candidate.

• Run-DMC: The Kings Of Rock

• Run-D.M.C.
• Metallica

Metallica's bassist from 1986-2001, Jason Newsted
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Hoping to avoid a drama-filled, awkward onstage reunion like those at past Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, Metallica graciously invited ex-bassist Jason Newsted to join them on Saturday night when they get enshrined in the Hall.

But earlier this week, Newsted, grateful to get the chance to play alongside his longtime bandmates for the first time in eight years, told Billboard.com that he would be the sole bassist during the band's two-song set of classic tunes following their induction. On Wednesday (April 1), however, a spokesperson for the group's label clarified that both Newsted, who played with the band from 1986-2001, and current bassist Robert Trujillo will both be performing with the group after Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea welcomes them to the Hall.

The label spokesperson declined to elaborate on whether both bassists would be onstage at the same time. According to Billboard.com, the group is planning to fly in from Paris after shows on Wednesday and Thursday night to rehearse with Newsted at Friday's soundcheck.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Billboard.com that the band wanted the occasion to feel like a "family reunion," so they invited staffers from their previous labels, Megaforce and Elektra, journalists and photographers who'd chronicled their rise over the years, as well as producers and musician friends. They also reportedly invited founding guitarist Dave Mustaine (from whom they are estranged), who was not able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. But former bassist Ron McGovney will be there, as will Ray Burton, the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, who will accept on his son's behalf.

MTV will be all over Saturday night's ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, which will also include the induction of Run-DMC by Eminem, as well as Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials and Bobby Womack.

• Metallica

Photo: Activision

• Metallica

Metallica's James Hetfield
Photo: MTV News

In a little more than a week, Metallica will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and, as is always the case with these types of things, speculation has already begun about just what fans can expect when the Four Horsemen of Metal take the stage on April 4 in Cleveland.

Will there be onstage dramatics — the kind we witnessed in 2006, when Blondie were inducted into the Hall and feuded with former members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison — if former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted decides to crash the ceremony? Will the band refuse to perform, like the famously splintered Van Halen did when they were inducted in 2007?

Well, no.

When MTV News sat down with Metallica frontman James Hetfield in Austin, Texas — hours before a thunderous secret show at South by Southwest — he told us that the entire goal of his band's induction was to avoid drama at all costs ... and celebrate everyone who has made Metallica the band they are today.

"It's one of those things where they're like, 'Oh, Metallica, it's all about you,' and it's like, 'Thank you,' but we want to highlight and celebrate everyone's who's helped with that. It's a big family reunion," he said. "There's not many bands that have shown up there that are still a band, still making records, and have people coming to the shows. We're kinda drama-free, hopefully, and the more people you invite, the bigger, cooler party it is."

His sentiments were echoed by guitarist Kirk Hammett, who told radio news services that not only would Newsted — who split with Metallica in 2001 and was replaced by current bassist Robert Trujillo — be welcomed by his former bandmates, he'd also be performing with them at the Rock Hall induction ceremony.

It's huge news for Metallica fans, and Hetfield said he wouldn't have it any other way. After all, he's seen how ugly it can get at the Rock Hall firsthand — and it's not his style.

"We were there [to induct] Black Sabbath when Blondie's thing kind of went down, and it was like, you know, so be it, that's them. We don't have to do that," Hetfield smiled. "Let's celebrate. It's like, how many times does this happen? And you're gonna get up there and screw it up like that? No, no, no. We're not doing it like that. It's gonna be a celebration; it's not gonna be about excluding, you know?"

• Metallica

Metallica's James Hetfield at SXSW 2009
Photo: MTV News

Earlier this month, Metallica were forced to cancel a show in Stockholm, Sweden, when frontman James Hetfield was hospitalized with a stomach bug and dehydration.

A few days after the cancellation, Hetfield posted an apologetic message on Metallica's Web site, explaining that he was taken down by — of all things — "a bad oyster."

It all seemed rather humorous (especially since he's fully recovered), so when MTV News sat down with Hetfield last week at South by Southwest — hours before Metallica stomped through Stubb's for a not-so-secret "secret" show — we had to ask about that oyster. Because, wow, that must've been one monstrous mollusk.

"The oyster that took down Metallica," Hetfield laughed. "Well, yeah, 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, which is awesome, and this last one was in Sweden, in Stockholm.

"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."

Het said he downed a few oysters and continued celebrating. He felt fine all night, but when he woke up the next morning, something was different.

"I just started to feel really bad. 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," he said. "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."

So, with their frontman doubled over and shivering, Metallica were forced to cancel the Stockholm gig, leaving some 16,000 fans totally bummed. But they've 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."

• Metallica

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert

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• Sting
• U2
• Bono

Metallica Kick Off The World Magnetic Tour In Nashville

• Metallica

2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

• Metallica
• Eminem
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Run-D.M.C.

Don't Mess With Texas: SXSW 2009

• Metallica
• The Decemberists
• The Von Bondies
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Metallica Melt Faces During Tour Kickoff

• Metallica

Raconteurs, Metallica More Are On Fire At The 2008 KROQ Weenie Roast In L.A.

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• Bad Religion
• The Flobots
• Ludo

Metallica Perform At The Silverlake Conservatory Benefit

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Metallica And The White Stripes Help Kick Off "The Simpsons" 2006 Season

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• The White Stripes

Metallica Rock The "Darwin Awards" Premiere Party

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"Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" photos

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