Metallica have hit back at critics ahead of their Glastonbury headline slot later this month, with drummer Lars Ulrich brushing off negative comments as “ridiculous”.

The heavy metal group’s booking came under fire when announced, with various musicians airing their views on organiser Michael Eavis’ “bold” decision.

But while the US band accepts and values the opinions of high-profile acts, the outspoken thoughts of Joe Bloggs irk them.

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“We’re fairly thick-skinned and turn a blind eye to it or whatever,” Ulrich told Metal Hammer. “If it’s Mick Jagger or Alex Turner or the very nice guys in Kasabian who I love, it’s cool. But at some point when there’s some guy in some other band it’s like ‘Huh? What? Who are you?”

Ulrich could well be referring to much smaller Scottish metal group Mogwai, who last week described Metallica as “unbelievably bad”. Mogwai’s set is scheduled to clash with “terrible” Metallica’s at Glastonbury.

Ulrich went on to address the petitions that have been set up following news of frontman James Hetfield’s involvement in a pro-hunting TV documentary.

“Glastonbury is like the Holy Grail in England and we’re respectful to that,” the 50-year old continued. “But when somebody sits there and talks about petitions or what some other guy says, there’s a point that it just becomes ridiculous.”

Shape Created with Sketch. Glastonbury 1971: Hippies, solstice and the first pyramid stage Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Glastonbury 1971: Hippies, solstice and the first pyramid stage 1/10 Glastonbury 1971 The second annual Glastonbury music festival, which saw the first use of a pyramid stage, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 2/10 Glastonbury 1971 Topless hippies enjoying the sunshine at the second Glastonbury fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 3/10 Glastonbury 1971 A group of hippies dancing during summer solstice celebrations at the second Glastonbury Festival, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 4/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippy festival-goers enjoy the sunshine and good vibes at the second Glastonbury Fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 5/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second annual Glastonbury festival celebrating the summer solstice with dancing and music, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 6/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival, which saw the first use of a pyramid stage, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 7/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival celebrate the summer solstice with music and dancing, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 8/10 Glastonbury 1971 A young woman dances topless in front of the pyramid stage at the second Glastonbury fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 9/10 Glastonbury 1971 Festival-goers washing and collecting water at one of the stand pipes at Glastonbury Festival, 1971. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 10/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival celebrate the summer solstice with music Getty Images 1/10 Glastonbury 1971 The second annual Glastonbury music festival, which saw the first use of a pyramid stage, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 2/10 Glastonbury 1971 Topless hippies enjoying the sunshine at the second Glastonbury fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 3/10 Glastonbury 1971 A group of hippies dancing during summer solstice celebrations at the second Glastonbury Festival, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 4/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippy festival-goers enjoy the sunshine and good vibes at the second Glastonbury Fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 5/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second annual Glastonbury festival celebrating the summer solstice with dancing and music, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 6/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival, which saw the first use of a pyramid stage, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 7/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival celebrate the summer solstice with music and dancing, 1971 Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 8/10 Glastonbury 1971 A young woman dances topless in front of the pyramid stage at the second Glastonbury fayre, organised by Arabella Churchill and Andrew Kerr at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 9/10 Glastonbury 1971 Festival-goers washing and collecting water at one of the stand pipes at Glastonbury Festival, 1971. Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images 10/10 Glastonbury 1971 Hippies at the second Glastonbury Festival celebrate the summer solstice with music Getty Images

Among those to pass comment on Metallica’s Glastonbury appearance are Turner, who thinks the booking “does not add up”; Jagger, who reckons they are “going to be great”; Johnny Marr who thinks the performance will be “funny”; and, most recently, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, who is concerned that their sound will be “a bit abrasive” for the “fragile” crowd.

“(Festivalgoers) have probably not had much sleep and they’ve been indulging in certain things,” Cocker, who headlined Glastonbury in 1995, told BBC 5 Live.

“So the main thing is to be a vague, warm, friendly presence. Whether a full-borne rendition of “Enter Sandman” is going to fill those criteria I don’t know.”

But Metallica insist they will be raring to go when they take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday 27 June. “We’re definitely on a roll,” said Ulrich. “We’re warmed up, loosened up and fit for a fight”.