Right then, butt — gather round the virtual bar at The Riff Report, because this is one of those stories that sounds made up… but is absolutely 100% metal history.
Picture the scene.
Download Festival. Donington Park. 2004.
The holy ground of British rock is rammed with tens of thousands of leather jackets, muddy boots, and festival warriors clutching pints like survival gear. The atmosphere is electric because the headline act is Metallica — one of the biggest bands to ever walk onto a stage.
But just hours before showtime…
Everything nearly fell apart.
⚡ A Headliner Disaster Waiting to Happen
Backstage at Download, panic began spreading through the Metallica camp.
Lars Ulrich was ill.
And not “needs a cup of tea and a lie down” ill.
The man physically couldn’t perform that night.
Now imagine trying to headline Download Festival without your drummer. Not just any drummer — the drummer from one of the biggest metal bands in the world.
It was the kind of situation that could have caused a full-blown festival meltdown.
But metalheads are nothing if not resourceful.
And luckily for everyone at Donington that day… there were a few absolute legends backstage.
🤘 Enter Joey Jordison
Among the bands playing the festival that weekend were Slipknot, and behind their drum kit sat one of the fastest, most ferocious drummers in metal history:
Joey Jordison.
If you’ve ever watched Joey play, you’ll know the man didn’t just hit drums — he attacked them like they owed him money.
So when Metallica suddenly needed someone who could handle their material on one of the biggest stages in the world…
Joey stepped forward.
No rehearsal.
No warm-up tour.
Just pure metal courage.
🥁 The Emergency Metallica Drum Squad
In the end, the night became one of the most surreal collaborations in festival history.
Metallica pulled together a rotating drum crew to make sure the show went on:
🥁 Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
🥁 Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
🥁 Flemming Larsen (Lars Ulrich’s drum tech)
Each drummer stepped in for parts of the set.
But the moment everyone remembers?
Joey Jordison blasting through Metallica’s thrash classic “Battery.”
And mun… he absolutely smashed it.
The crowd at Donington went mental.
Watching the drummer from Slipknot hammering Metallica songs on the Download stage felt like some alternate metal universe had opened up for the night.
🔥 A Download Moment That Became Legend
Festival moments come and go.
But every so often, something happens that becomes rock folklore.
This was one of them.
Fans who were there still talk about it today — that night when a Slipknot drummer jumped behind Metallica’s kit and saved the headline slot.
No egos.
No drama.
Just musicians helping musicians so the fans still got their show.
That’s the spirit of rock and metal right there.
🖤 Remembering Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison sadly passed away in 2021, but moments like this remind the world exactly why he was so respected across the entire metal community.
He wasn’t just one of the greatest drummers of his generation.
He was the kind of musician who would step onto the biggest stage in metal with almost no notice… and absolutely own it.
Proper legend behaviour, mun.
🤘 The Riff Report Verdict
Metal history is packed with wild stories.
But Slipknot’s drummer saving Metallica’s headline set at Download Festival?
That’s the kind of story that feels too good to be true.
Except it happened.
And if you were standing in the mud at Donington that night…
You witnessed one of the most legendary emergency saves in rock history.
Absolute metal magic. 🤘🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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