“The power was intense!”: that point Dave Lombardo changed Lars Ulrich in Metallica
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Obtain 2004 ought to have been a daily Metallica competition gig. The one drawback was that Lars Ulrich had been taken ailing with an anxiousness assault on the airplane over and was in hospital. The excellent news: Lars could be advantageous. The unhealthy information: Metallica have been down a drummer and the set appeared prefer it wasn’t going to occur.
Enter Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, who – together with Slipknot’s Joey Jordison – stepped in for Lars on the eleventh hour to ensure the present went forward. We caught up with Lombardo virtually 20 years later to get his reminiscences of a Metallica present like no different.
Slayer and Metallica each began in 1981 in Los Angeles. When did you first hear about them?
“I bear in mind a reside demo tape being handed round, and we’d hearken to that – we have been blown away. Slayer acquired to play with Metallica actually early on at a membership referred to as The Woodstock in Orange County [on Oct 22, 1982]. I bear in mind standing between James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine, watching them. That was an incredible expertise.”
How did you find yourself enjoying with Metallica 22 years later, on the 2004 Obtain competition?
“Slayer had performed within the tent earlier within the night, and I used to be someplace backstage once I was approached by administration. They mentioned, ‘Lars can’t make it, and Metallica was questioning should you’d be capable to sit in?’ It was a little bit of a shock. My first thought was, ‘Is Lars OK?’ However they mentioned, ‘He’s OK, he’s on the docs, he’s simply having a little bit of a second.’ So I mentioned I’d do no matter I might to assist.”
Did they bundle you right into a rehearsal room with the opposite guys to be taught the songs?
“Yeah, that’s precisely what occurred. I knew a number of of their songs properly sufficient to play them, however I simply didn’t know all of the element of a number of the different songs. So we agreed that I’d do the primary two, Battery and The 4 Horsemen, then Joey [Jordison] would soar in, ’cos he’d been in a Metallica covers band and he knew all these songs inside out.”
It’s 5 minutes earlier than you’re due onstage. What’s going by your thoughts?
“Pleasure. I really like challenges: ‘Alright, let’s do it, we’ll work it out and make it occur.’ I used to be thrilled to be up there with these guys, but it surely was surreal seeing James and Kirk and Rob in entrance of me. Like, ‘Is that this actually occurring?’ However I couldn’t query the second, ’cos there was one thing extra vital at stake, which was to assist Lars and the band ship these songs, and ship a present for the followers.”
Did you watch Joey play?
“Yeah, he was superior. He knew the songs entrance to again, and he nailed it. I assumed I used to be gonna soar in and play one of many songs throughout Joey’s part, however they determined to maintain him for the remainder of the set, which was completely cool with me. It took the stress off of me, like, ‘I do know this music, however I actually don’t comprehend it in addition to Joey does.’”
Did briefly moving into Metallica’s world provide you with a special perspective on what they do?
“Oh yeah, particularly with the reside present. They have been headlining, so the power there was simply intense. I undoubtedly needed to retain my composure and suppose, ‘That is going to be nice, keep optimistic, let’s rock.’ After it was all executed, all of us took a bow on the very finish. They have been actually grateful – they appreciated the assistance.”
How do you look again on it right now?
“For them to even ask me was an honour, and I’m very proud to have helped them out after they wanted it, and simply been a small a part of their historical past. Come on, I acquired to play with Metallica!”
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