Friday is all about the first UK showing of thrash’s Big Four, the Bay Area quartet of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax, all sharing a UK stage for the first time in history. Naturally the anticipation is high, and there is no way anybody is going to be disappointed today. Friday’s forecast read rain, and although it did throw it down all the way from Stoke to Knebworth, on site everywhere was dry, and it stayed that way all evening.
First up my mate and I checked out Hammer Of The Gods on the Jagermeister stage (if you can really call it that). It didn’t really do a great deal for me, but it was a nice way to start to the afternoon’s festivities, to prepare for the main course over on the main Apollo stage. Dressed as Greek gods, performing a diet of heavy metal riffola, with power metal influences, microphone troubles aside, their brief set was rather enjoyable, if a little ludicrous.
Heading over to the main stage, we caught the end of Diamond Head’s set, thankfully managing to get a listen (for the first time this evening) of their legendary Am I Evil? track, which surely has one of the most incredible guitar lead intros of all time. Everyone knew though that this would not be the last time we see them on the Apollo stage today, but they warmed up a massive main stage crowd for the Big Four of metal.
Setlist - It's Electric Play / Give It To Me / The Prince / Sucking My Love / Helpless / Am I Evil?
The first of that Big Four to hit the stage were Anthrax, performing an enjoyable, if not life affirming 45 minute set of their biggest hits. They are not at anywhere near full strength, with mainstay Scott Ian missing these shows after the birth of his baby, while Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser fills in on guitar duties in his absence. Although he is great, especially with his Refuse/Resist snippet, it is not the same as seeing Scott Ian pounce the floor like a madman. Personally, althought Joey Belladonna can still wail, I am of the generation who were introduced to Anthrax through 2003’s Safe Home, at a time when John Bush was at the vocal helm.
As a result, I will probably always be a “Bush man” (yeah, I just like saying it) and I did miss the Safe Home run through that we were greeted to at Sonisphere 2009. That being said, you cannot fault Joey’s metal chops, nor his voice, and opening with a riotous Caught In A Mosh, Anthrax’s set flies by in no time, as the crowd helps Joey sing along to the likes of Madhouse, Indians, and a simply massive Antisocial.
Anthrax draw first blood today, and they do so with finesse. It will be interesting to see what their new record Worship Music can offer.
Setlist - Caught In A Mosh / Madhouse / Antisocial / Indians / Fight 'Em Till You Can't / Only / I Am The Law (preceded by snippet of Refuse/Resist by Sepultura)
Following Anthrax, Mega-Dave and his crew hit the Apollo floorboards, for a solid 60 minute set of Megadeth classics. Technically flawless, and with stage banter left to an absolute minimum, Dave Mustaine and co thrash away through a huge set of pure metal, with many highlights.
They open with Trust, and the phenomenal Hangar 18 comes out early, to a mammoth response, as they work their way across their enormous back catalogue. Sweating Bullets is another big tune, and even later material, particularly 2009’s Headcrusher, goes down a storm. Dave also debuts a new track, set to make their next record, called Public Enemy No.1, which also sounded the standard Megadeth fare.
An unholy trinity of Symphony Of Destruction, Peace Sells and Holy Wars . . . The Punishment Due, close off a triumphant set, and one that many thought they would never see. Sure he may have had his well documented differences with Metallica over the years, but Megadeth are a fine band in their own right, and although they will never scale the commercial heights that Hetfield and Co make their name on, nobody can deny Dave Mustaine can shred like a mofo, and that his band, complete with a returning Dave Ellefson, can stand their ground with any metal band around.
Setlist - Trust / In My Darkest Hour / Wake Up Dead / Hangar 18 / Sweating Bullets / Poison Was The Cure / Head Crusher / Public Enemy No. 1 / A Tout Le Monde / Symphony Of Destruction / Peace Sells / Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
All hell reigns down on Knebworth with the arrival of Slayer, or more correctly, Slllllaaaaaaayyyyyyyyuuurrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh, receiving a massive response from the baying hordes, ready to see the day’s events take a more dramatic and sinister turn towards the depths of hell and beyond.
And Slayer deliver, like only Slayer can. It is heavy, it is fast, and it is damn near brutal, for their 60 minute set, with yet more thrash classics getting an airing from the band. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman misses the show, still recovering a home from a flesh eating disease, replaced for by Gary Holt of Exodus fame. This does not stop the Slayer machine from rolling a path straight through Knebworth, and the place goes off for the likes of the opening salvo of Disciple and War Ensemble, Mandatory Suicide and Dead Skin Mask.
South Of Heaven (with that inimitable Kerry King introduction) is intense, right before Raining Blood, as it always does, redefines intensity yet again, with the enormous crowd setting off the pits. Limbs flailing and heads bang for one of the undoubted highlights of the entire weekend.
If the crowd thought that was brutal though, it is with vicious set closer Angel Of Death that Slayer up the bar yet again for intensity, leaving the crowd a satiated and sweaty mess.
Setlist - Disciple / War Ensemble / Hate Worldwide / Dittohead / Dead Skin Mask / Snuff / Seasons In The Abyss / Mandatory Suicide / Chemical Warfare / South of Heaven / Raining Blood / Black Magic / Angel of Death
Most bands couldn’t really follow that in all fairness, but then again Metallica are not most bands.
Often touted as the biggest metal band in the world, it is hard to disagree with such claims when you watch them stalk the stage. Seasoned pros, and no stranger to headlining festivals of this size, you know what you are gonna get from a Metallica set; massive hits, massive personalities and technically gifted players, with a streamlined production and professionalism that is nothing short of tight.
There are not many bands in the world who are this good, and who can hold a crowd of such magnitude in the palm of their hand for a 120 minute headline set.
James Hetfield though, as usual, makes it look simply effortless.
Today was all about the spectacle of seeing the Big Four together on one stage, but Metallica do reign supreme as Friday’s clear highlight. That is not to say that the rest of the four were not immense, but Metallica take it up a notch, the way that only Metallica can do.
Coming on to as always to Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy Of Gold, they set off with a trashtastic Hit The Lights, and the crowd goes nuts. When, second song in, a band can drop a stone cold classic like Master Of Puppets (a track that arguably redefined an entire genre at the time of it’s release) as the second song in a two hour set, you know that you are going to be in for something very special indeed.
What follows is a comprehensive and engaging run through of tracks across their back catalogue (ok . . .perhaps ignoring St Anger) with traditional set closer Seek And Destroy appearing early in the set, alongside huge renditions of Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Ride The Lightning and The Memory Remains, complete with one of the biggest sing-along’s of the entire weekend. All Nightmare Long is another outstanding track, surprisingly being the sole inclusion from last record Death Magnetic.
One sees the expected onslaught of fireworks and pyro, whilst Sad But True yet again proves itself to be on the of best metal songs of all time. Enter Sandman is not too far behind either, with blistering fireworks piercing the clear night sky as that riff explodes into life at the outset.
The encore is something pretty special also. As with all the other Big Four shows, the opening song of the encore sees various stacks of equipment wheeled out to allow the members of Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, and on this night, Diamond Head, to perform with Metallica for the inevitable, and goosebump inducing run through of Am I Evil? Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler, the song’s creator takes centre stage before a kneeling James Hetfield to start off that unforgettable guitar lead, before the rest of the band member’s kick in for an all star jam session.
Nobody in attendance will ever forget how very special that moment felt, seeing the likes of Dave Mustaine hugging it out with Hetfield, and seeing everyone jam to one of the defining influences on all their careers .
It is special stuff.
It may never happen again, and it is a privilege to be able to witness such a historic outing.
After that, Metallica close the first day’s proceedings with a furious run through of Battery and close on Creeping Death, complete with massive Metallica branded balls unleashed into the masses.
An incredible way to kick start a festival, and an astonishing and historic first day.
Setlist - The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song) / Hit the Lights / Master Of Puppets / The Shortest Straw / Seek & Destroy / Welcome Home (Sanitarium) / Ride The Lightning / The Memory Remains / All Nightmare Long / Sad But True / The Call of Ktulu / One / For Whom The Bell Tolls / Blackened / Fade To Black / Enter Sandman / Am I Evil? (Diamond Head cover - with Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Brian Tatler, Gary Holt and Andreas Kisser) / Battery / Creeping Death
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