Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner: Metallica's Glastonbury headline slot 'does not add up'

Turner asks where the metal band will fit in the festival's 'hippy nucleus'

Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys is none too convinced by Metallica's Glastonbury headline slot (Getty Images)

Metallica’s headline slot at this summer’s Glastonbury Festival has been welcomed by many fans, but Alex Turner is “not sure it adds up”.

The Arctic Monkeys frontman, who has topped the bill twice, told Time Out that although he likes the heavy metal group, he cannot see them fitting in with the chilled-out vibe.

“I know we’d buzz off it, but fundamentally could you have Metallica in the hippy nucleus?” he asked.

Turner went on to recall his first time at Glastonbury, when he “did the stone circle thing” and borrowed Lily Allen’s crocodile costume. “I remember wrestling James from Klaxons in the mud as the sun rose,” he said.

Metallica were announced to close this year’s musical extravaganza earlier this month, with drummer Lars Ulrich describing his reaction as “ecstatic”.

The US band will be the first of their genre to headline Glastonbury throughout its 44 years. Organiser Michael Eavis has spoken in the past of his doubts over booking the “phenomenal” Metallica, but has clearly been convinced to rethink.

“You get crowd-surging and all those things that seem to cause problems,” he argued in 2002.

Arcade Fire and Kasabian are the other headliners, with Serge Pizzorno and Tom Meighan of the latter band insisting that the “bold” move of signing Metallica will impress at Worthy Farm in June.