Metallica to play Sonisphere Festival 2011. Sonisphere Festival 2011 will be bringing together Metallica, along with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax ‘ collectively THE BIG 4, for the first time in the UK to headline on Friday 8th July. METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich explains: ‘As soon as the Big 4 gigs started rolling across Sonisphere Festivals in Eastern Europe last summer, we all felt we were part of something special. The vibe within the bands was more than anyone had anticipated and the vibe with the fans was so next level, it completely blew our minds . . . there was no way this should not happen again!!! So I am beyond psyched that the first Big 4 show in Western Europe will take place on the hallowed grounds of Knebworth, where so many unique and special gigs have happened over the years. There is simply no better venue for a European round two of the Big 4!! Put your dancing shoes on, this is gonna be fun!’  Last summer saw the live debut of THE BIG 4 – marking what was possibly the most significant event in the history of metal. Fans all over Europe could barely contain their excitement, as over 500,000 metalheads bore witness to the show they thought they’d never see. THE BIG 4 fever did not stop at Europe, as fans the world over eagerly anticipated the possibility of seeing the historical show for themselves in their own countries. Such was the demand that a live cinecast of the Bulgarian show saw over 130,000 people turn out to local cinemas, with reports of mosh pits breaking out in movie theatres across the globe. The recently released DVD of the event, which features all four bands collaborating on a cover of Diamond Head’s ‘Am I Evil’ as well as their individual sets, has only added fuel to the BIG 4 fire, with a frenzied demand for more performances in the countries not fortunate enough to play host last summer.

Metallica have just finished their 2 year World Magnetic tour – which crossed 45 countries, included 143 arena shows, 34 festival shows, 29 stadium shows, 4 club/theater shows, 3 tv/radio shows, 2 hall of fame shows, 3790 songs, with not a single setlist being the same.

That’s 216 shows in 992 days. The tour opened with a European promo show on September 12, 2008 in Berlin, and hit virtually every corner of the globe. You can watch the ‘Big Four’ live DVD trailer here: http://bit.ly/azGBbR