Dave Lombardo Looks Back on the Time He Made Metallica Better by Filling In for Lars
I know he at least reads the site so Dave Lombardo, I know you probably don’t want people to think you made Metallica infinitely better when you sat in for a couple songs during 2004’s Download Festival. You and Lars are probably good friends — I get that. But I think I speak for everyone when I say that your performance there showed the entire world an alternate universe where the guy behind the kit for Metallica could actually play the insane double bass parts from back in the day.
But I digress…
While he and his wife Paula were on ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson‘s show The David Ellefson Show, the topic of that fateful performance came up. What followed was a detailed explanation of how and the late Joey Jordison ended up playing drums for Metallica when Lars Ulrich couldn’t perform.
“Well, fortunately Joey, he had a Metallica cover band when he was young, before Slipknot or maybe even during Slipknot. And so he was very familiar with a lot of their newer albums. I was into, obviously, the first three or four — I think up until Master of Puppets. And then while at first, I wasn’t into the Black Album, eventually the Black Album grew on me, ’cause it is a masterpiece.”
While looking over the setlist, Lombardo said he obviously felt more comfortable with the earlier Metallica songs — you know, the ones with all the aforementioned insane double bass parts, weird timings, and all that extra stuff instead of the four-on-the-floor stuff we get these days.
“When they told me, I said, ‘Look, I can do the two. I could probably figure out some of the other ones.’ But they had me just go up and do the first two, and then Joey, and obviously, Flemming went up and finished the rest of the songs.”
With the songs selected, Lombardo said one of the more special moments came about during rehearsals. According to the legendary drummer, things were light and fun among the musicians. Which looking back shouldn’t be too crazy to imagine, since they all came up around the same time.
“One of the real special moments was in the rehearsal. We were in one of those — I guess it was a small portable rehearsal room. They have a drum set in there, they’ve got their amp, they jam, get warmed up, get ready. And we were in there, and I could see their excitement when I was playing the song. They were really into it. And I kind of sped everything up a little bit, just kicked them in the ass a little. And it was fun, man.”
Oh, to go back in time and be a fly on the wall for that rehearsal. And while he said it was an “exciting, fun, grateful moment in history that will never be repeated again,” Lombardo said there were times where guitarist Kirk Hammett commented on his playing that should raise some fans’ eyebrows.
“Some of Kirk’s commentary, which I’ll keep private, was really, really funny and very complimentary and very kind from them.”
But… what did he say, Dave?! Was it “holy shit we haven’t played this fast in more than 20 years” or “oh man, Lars would have gassed out by now” or something to that effect? Inquiring minds need to know!
