Glastonbury 2014: Should Metallica face the axe?

It's been a turbulent month for Glastonbury festival organiser Michael Eavis. Having been bombarded with criticism for the booking of ageing American rockers Metallica as headliners, he's now facing fresh controversy with the news that singer James Hetfield is set to narrate The Hunt, an 8-part TV series documenting the killing of Kodiak bears in Alaska. With the concept of big game hunting being completely at odds with the political ideals of the festival, is it time for Eavis to act?

The news of Hetfield's narration role has sent shockwaves through the musical community, as Metallica now not only musically contrasts the traditional hippy image of Glastonbury, but is also juxtaposed in ideals. As a well known supporter of groups promoting animal rights such as Greenpeace, Glastonbury seems the festival least suited to a Metallica performance. Surely Eavis, a political activist and animal rights campaigner himself, can't condone a group which promotes the senseless slaughter of endangered species. Bear in mind, this is not a programme about killing for food or survival. This is murder for the sake of entertainment.

But let's give the band a fair trial. Although Hetfield's actions appear unforgivable, what of the rest of the group? Certainly, the other three members of the band have never shown the slightest interest in hunting, so banning the band from the festival would likely be punishment overkill. Then there's the practical issues with axing the band to contend with; Eavis would need a replacement headliner with the festival less than a month away, and last-minute ticket resales would have to be organised for those disappointed to miss the band. It's unfortunate that the brave move to book the festival's first ever heavy metal headliner has been so disastrous for Eavis and co, as they spectacularly pulled off their first headline rap performance with Jay-Z in 2008. Despite been one of the best live acts around, it seems unlikely that anything but a career-defining performance will make up for the storm of controversy the booking of Metallica has caused.

Perhaps Hetfield has underestimated the political stance of the festival he's set to front, but his actions seem undeserved of a total ban despite a 25,000 strong petition to drop his band from the lineup. An apology would likely be sufficient, but Metallica should stand as a warning to future performers: Glastonbury is a national institution, and not one you should cross.