Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich claims Noel Gallagher helped him kick his cocaine addiction

The Oasis guitarist’s profound, expletive-peppered words on the subject inspired the metal musician to seek help

Lars Ulrich of Metallica performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2014 (Getty Images)

It was weird enough seeing images of the pair forming a man-wich with Bradley Cooper at Glastonbury last month.

But now Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich claims he owes more to the Oasis guitarist – whose band he mocked ahead of their much contested headlining appearance at the festival – than an opportune Instagram snap.

For it was Noel Gallagher’s wise and expletive-littered words in an interview published 10 years ago that persuaded him to kick his life-debilitating cocaine habit.

"I loved the social elements of cocaine. I loved the danger of it," The Mirror quotes Ulrich as saying.

"Then, about 10 years ago, I read an interview with Noel Gallagher, in which he said, 'I just stopped doing cocaine'. I thought that was really cool. It felt so fresh, so honest, so pure - I love that side of him. I've never had an addictive personality, so I woke up one day and said, 'Enough'."

The reason he developed the habit in the first place? The Danish musician was simply trying to keep up with his bandmate’s excessive drinking.

The offending snap captured at Glastonbury 2014

"In the early days, I'd always get drunk way faster than the other guys," he said. "I realised that if there was a little bit of cocaine involved I could stay up longer, instead of ending up face down in the corner, passed out three hours before the party ended."