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Metallica's Lars Ulrich has criticised the fact that hard rock is seen as "lower class" in England ahead of the band's controversial Glastonbury headline set.
Metallica were revealed last month as Glastonbury's third and final headliner, and the news was met with an extremely mixed reaction.
Appearing on 6 Music, Ulrich told Chris Hawkins: "I don't really know what it is about hard rock in England - there obviously are people that snub their nose a little bit at hard rock, and look at hard rock as inferior or lower class, some sort of lower music form... and the people that listen to hard rock are less educated. All these people on these indie precious thresholds."
Watch Metallica perform 'Enter Sandman' at Download 2012 below
He continued: "At Glastonbury, there will be probably some people who have never experienced hard rock the way that we play it, but I don't think they need to brace themselves. Show up and be ready to have a good time, and free your mind and the rest will follow!"
Ulrich also took inspiration from Jay Z's equally controversial headline set at the festival back in 2008. "I understand and appreciate that Glastonbury is a British institution, [but] not only did they survive when Jay Z showed up a few years ago, but they, I think, even enjoyed it, and I see no reason that the same shouldn't happen when Metallica takes the stage."
He concluded, "We still are looked upon as being the underdogs, I think it's great... 'Here comes the big bad hard rock band to our precious little festival'."
Glastonbury kicks off this coming Wednesday (25 June) and runs until the 29 June. Headliners are Metallica, Arcade Fire and Kasabian.
Below: 7 things Metallica have promised from their Glastonbury set
