June 6th, 2004. Donington Park. Download Festival.
What should have been a standard Metallica headline set turned into one of the most unforgettable moments in heavy metal history.
If you were standing in that field at Donington that Sunday evening, you didn’t just watch a concert.
You witnessed metal’s greatest emergency backup plan.
And somehow… it worked.
🔥 Download Was Still The New Kid On The Block
Back in 2004, Download Festival was only in its second year.
The inaugural event in 2003 had successfully carried the torch from the legendary Monsters of Rock festivals, and Donington was once again becoming the spiritual home of rock and metal in the UK.
This year’s lineup was absolutely stacked.
Metallica were set to headline alongside Linkin Park, while bands including Slipknot, Korn, Slayer, Damageplan, HIM, The Offspring, Soulfly, Cradle of Filth, Machine Head, Therapy?, Bowling For Soup and many more packed out one of the strongest Download lineups ever assembled.
Everything was in place for a massive weekend.
Then disaster struck.
🚑 Lars Ulrich Suddenly Pulls Out
Just hours before Metallica were due on stage, news began spreading around the festival site.
Drummer Lars Ulrich had suffered a medical emergency and had been taken to hospital.
Fans were stunned.
The idea of Metallica playing without Lars seemed almost impossible.
After all, he’d been behind the kit for every Metallica show since the band formed in 1981.
For many people in the crowd, there was genuine concern that the headline set would be cancelled altogether.
Instead, what happened next became the stuff of legend.
🤝 The Metal Community Comes Together
Rather than pulling the plug on the show, Metallica decided the festival would go ahead.
What followed was one of the greatest examples of musicians helping musicians that the metal world has ever seen.
A collection of drummers stepped forward to save the day.
No rehearsals.
No weeks of preparation.
No safety net.
Just pure metal spirit.
🥁 Enter Dave Lombardo
The first man called into action was none other than Slayer powerhouse Dave Lombardo.
Already regarded as one of the greatest drummers in heavy metal history, Lombardo stepped up to perform:
- Battery
- The Four Horsemen
Not exactly easy songs either.
The crowd erupted as Lombardo smashed through the opening part of the set and proved exactly why he remains one of metal’s most respected musicians.
But the biggest surprise was still to come.
😈 Joey Jordison Becomes A Legend
Then came the moment that Download Festival would never forget.
Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison climbed behind Metallica’s drum kit.
At the time Joey was already widely regarded as one of the most exciting drummers on the planet, but nobody expected what came next.
With virtually no preparation, he proceeded to hammer through the majority of Metallica’s headline set as though he’d been in the band for years.
The sight of Jordison sitting behind Lars’ massive drum kit instantly became one of Download’s defining images.
Fans watched in disbelief as he flawlessly blasted through classic tracks while James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo carried on as if the show had never been in doubt.
It was one of the most impressive live performances ever seen at Donington.
🔧 Don’t Forget Flemming Larsen
While Joey handled most of the evening, Metallica’s drum technician Flemming Larsen also stepped in to help complete parts of the set.
It’s easy to overlook his contribution when talking about the night, but he played a vital role in ensuring the show could continue.
Without everyone pulling together, the headline performance simply wouldn’t have happened.
🎸 A Set That Should Never Have Worked
On paper, this whole situation sounds ridiculous.
A headline festival performance.
One of the biggest bands in the world.
Their drummer suddenly unavailable.
Multiple replacements.
No rehearsal time.
Thousands upon thousands of fans watching.
Yet somehow it became one of the greatest festival performances ever witnessed.
The atmosphere was electric.
The crowd knew they were watching something special.
Every song felt like a victory.
Every drum fill felt like a miracle.
It wasn’t perfect.
It was something better.
It was real.
🤘 Why Fans Still Talk About It Today
More than twenty years later, Download veterans still speak about Metallica’s 2004 headline set with genuine awe.
It perfectly captured everything that makes rock and metal culture unique.
When things go wrong, the community rallies together.
Egos disappear.
The music comes first.
Bands help bands.
Fans support everyone involved.
Instead of becoming a disaster, June 6th, 2004 became one of the greatest examples of resilience in live music history.
🏆 One Of Download’s Greatest Ever Moments
Download Festival has produced countless iconic memories over the years.
From surprise appearances and legendary headline performances to unforgettable crowd moments and emotional reunions.
But few moments have reached the mythical status of Metallica’s emergency rescue mission.
A medical emergency threatened to derail the biggest show of the weekend.
Instead, it created a piece of metal folklore.
One that still gets talked about around festival campsites, in pub conversations and across social media every time Download season rolls around.
And if you were lucky enough to be there?
You didn’t just watch Metallica.
You witnessed history.
🤘 Were You There?
Did you see Joey Jordison step behind the kit?
Do you remember the atmosphere in the crowd when Lars couldn’t play?
Let us know your memories of Download 2004 in the comments, butt!
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud.
The Riff Report 🎸🔥🍻
