[funsec] Bizarre Story of the Day: Metallica Singer's Beard Spooks Brits

[David Lodge]

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:55:57 +0100, Paul Ferguson <fergdawg at netzero.net>  
wrote:
> Due to his "Taliban-like beard", rock group Metallica's frontman, James
> Hetfield, was detained at the Luton Airport in London on Thursday.
>
> On his way to play at the Live Earth concert, Hetfield was interrogated  
> by
> officials who suspected he was a terrorist. Fortunately, he was able to
> convince authorities that he was actually a rock star rather than a  
> member
> of al-Qaida.

If we dig back to the original article in The Times:  
(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2034109.ece)
James Hetfield, the frontman with US metal rockers Metallica, was  
apparently questioned by security officials at Luton airport when arriving  
for the Live Earth gig at Wembley. Friends put it down to his  
“Taliban-like beard”. We’re thinking of a particular scene in This Is  
Spinal Tap.

The only reference to terrorism is by his mates... It looks like he was  
just questioned; this could have been for many reasons (e.g. visited dodgy  
country, was drunk, had form in the UK, looked like he was carrying drugs  
ad nauseam).

dave