Big 4 Recap: Backstage, Onstage and Caught in a Mosh at Metal's Biggest Event

Paul Hebert

Desert Thrashers: Metallica's Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield

​Thrash has become the music of brotherly love. Backstage at the Big 4 fest on Saturday, all four of the day's speedy metal acts gathered for a quick group portrait with photographer Ross Halfin. And standing tall at the center was Metallica's James Hetfield, grinning broadly with his arms around Slayer's Tom Araya and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. It's not a scene anyone might have expected even a decade ago.

The afternoon photo opp was to commemorate double-platinum sales of The Big 4: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria DVD, but it was also symbolic of the current state of affairs between these once-warring originators of thrash-metal. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax essentially created this sound together 30 years ago, but have rarely collaborated in any meaningful way. It was Metallica, now one of the biggest names in rock music, who gathered them all this weekend as a loud-fast community on the epic landscape of Empire Polo Field in Indio, all lingering rivalries far behind them.

"We were kids when we started. Now we're here," said Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman backstage, still recovering from a devastating attack of flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis on his right arm, caused by a spider-bite. "For us and Metallica, we've been around forever and we stuck together. I think a lot of kids appreciate that."

Paul Hebert

Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine

​Some of the drama and excitement could be felt in the music. During Megadeth's hour-long set, the band ignited the steady, unhurried grind of "In My Darkest Hour," as Mustaine sang the words of betrayal with a look of real anguish. Fans shouted along, and then erupted into a moshpit near the stage when Mustaine ripped open an emotional guitar solo.

There was also Anthrax wailing through "Metal Thrashing Mad," or stopping suddenly during "Indians" to fire up the moshpits, or pausing to remember the late metal heroes Ronnie James Dio and Dimebag Darrell. It was Anthrax's first show in six months. "Even before we walked out and the siren started running, that wave of emotion from the crowd - I really felt the energy coming off of them," said Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian after their festival-opening set amid the desert heat and dust. "If it wasn't for that crowd, I probably would have passed out six songs in. It was hard work up there today."

One moshpit deep in the crowd remained at full-boil throughout Anthrax's performance, as a woman blew soap bubbles into the tattooed swirl, and vendors wandered past offering ice-cold lemonade ($6). The Big 4 fest was hosted on the site of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, but there were clear differences in taste and tone. One tent was filled with vendors selling dozens of brands of ale, ambers, pales, stouts and lights. Trash was no longer neatly segregated into recyclables, but collected into simple steel barrels filled indiscriminately (and presumably ready for burning).

Paul Hebert

Slayer guitarist Kerry King with Gary Holt

​Slayer began their set with the title track from 2009's World Painted Blood. Sitting in for Hanneman (who wrote the tune) was his friend, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, bearded and carrying a gleaming white guitar spattered with blood-red paint. He recreated the original lead-lines, but also stretched out sonically into something wilder and weirder.