Where Are They Now? - The Headliners Of Download 2003
9. Super-Secret Attraction: Metallica
The original main stage headliners of the first Download Festival were scheduled to be Iron Maiden and Limp Bizkit, however Fred Durst and his band of merry men (and Mike Smith) had to return to the Matthew's Bridge and pull-out. Before Audioslave were confirmed as replacements, US metal titans Metallica tried to fill the gap, but were unable to commit to the slot in the end, due to their headliner slot at that year's Reading & Leeds Festival.
As an alternative for the excited rumour mongers of the UK, Met' offered an intimate London show on the Friday, and then appeared for a super secret surprise show in the afternoon of Sunday's second 'Scuzz' Stage.
The band performed with no rehearsals, no soundcheck, and yet played a 90 minute set (including tracks from the as-yet-released 'St. Anger') resulting in Classic Rock reporter Mick Middles stating, "Sunday belonged to Metallica".
While 'St. Anger' inevitably proved, err.. "divisive", the Biggest Band in the World rediscovered form with 'Death Magnetic' and 'Hardwired... to Self-Destruct', in addition to broadening their horizons with their own festival, special live albums, films, along with three headline appearances at Donington Park.