The band did a partial warm up for their headlining slot at the festival by running through a few tunes in the back of a truck outside the press area.
The UK gig was the fourth installment of the current European tour by the Big 4 – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
The now-traditional Big 4 jam featuring members from all the bands included a bonus for those players involved at last Friday’s show: they were joined by Diamond Head, one of the British New Wave of Heavy Metal bands from the early 80s that inspired them all.
"You see that guy, if it wasn't for Brian Tatler, there's a pretty good f**king chance none of us would be here tonight," Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich added while pointing at the Diamond Head guitarist, before the musicians kicked into a version of that band’s song, “Am I Evil?”
Metallica Metallica – Hit The Lights (partial)
Sonisphere UK - Knebworth House, UK - July 8, 2011
See also:
VIDEO: Metallica – Big 4 jam at Sonisphere UK
VIDEO: Metallica - pro-shot footage of Big 4 jam in Germany
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VIDEO: Big 4 - Watch full Metallica set from Sweden
VIDEO: Big 4 - Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax jam at Sweden show
VIDEO: Big 4 - Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax jam at German show
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Metallica records album with Lou Reed
