On “America’s Got Talent,” eleven-year-old Maya Neelakantan creates history by performing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.”
On “America’s Got Talent,” eleven-year-old Maya Neelakantan created history by covering Metallica’s classic song “Master Of Puppets.” This was the first time the venerable band had ever consented to an appearance on the show with one of their songs. The judges and the crowd were enthralled with the Indian-American’s performance, which happened during the quarterfinals.
Maya was permitted by Metallica to perform Master Of Puppets.
Maya said shortly before her performance, “I’m the first act that Metallica has ever granted permission to play on AGT.” My goal is to truly bring Metallica pride to me. The youthful guitarist did not let us down. She added her unique touch to the famous thrash metal song by fusing Metallica’s powerful riffs with her training in traditional Indian music. She gave the metal hymn a unique cultural touch by tuning her electric guitar to mimic the sound of a sitar.
Maya’s performance left the judges extremely pleased, with Judge Simon Cowell complimenting her, saying, “You’re just one of these people who’s got a god-given talent…” Because you’re so skilled at this, you must do this for the rest of your life.
“I must express my sincere gratitude to Metallica for providing you with that music. That is not frequently the case. Maya was grateful for the experience after her performance, saying, “It was just amazing.” I’m overjoyed to have had the privilege of performing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” on AGT for the first time. Thus, I would like to express my gratitude to Cliff Burton’s family and Metallica for making this possible.
Maya’s path up to the AGT stage
Maya tried out for the program earlier this year, and she has been practicing under the tutelage of some of the industry veterans ever since. She disclosed that she had meetings with Testament’s Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, and Gary Holt of Slayer, who all assisted her in improving her metal guitar technique.
In an interview with NME last year, Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica, discussed the band’s music’s comeback, especially with younger listeners, after it was used in the critically acclaimed Netflix series “Stranger Things.” “Master Of Puppets” was utilized in the program at a season 4 finale climax sequence. The publication of Metallica’s most recent album, “72 Seasons,” corresponded with this resurgence in interest in the band.
Ulrich observed, “We see a lot of 13 and 14-year-olds coming for the first time.” Our productions have always had a coming-of-age component; just take a peek at the Stranger Things craze from the previous summer. That surprised everyone by introducing Metallica to a whole new generation of young people.
