Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda has revealed how he and his bandmates pranked Metallica onstage during the 2003 Summer Sanitarium tour. In a new interview with Triple M radio, Shinoda said that the band was nervous about opening for Metallica, but the metal legends were actually very down to earth and complimentary.
"They took us out on tour, and we were opening for them in stadiums all over the U.S. for two months in the summer. And we were so nervous. We were so nervous. I love Metallica. Our guitar player, grew up — that was his main reason for learning guitar and getting better at guitar. We all love Metallica. So, we were on tour with them kind of starstruck. And at a certain point, they invited us to a bar to go hang out. And we were just, like, 'You guys. Come on. You guys.' They were the sweetest guys — every single one of them, incredible. Just so down to earth and thoughtful and complimentary too. So we felt really emboldened; we felt comfortable with these guys."
At the end of the tour, Shinoda and his bandmates approached Metallica's head of security, who they knew from a previous job, and asked if they could prank the band. The security guard agreed, and the two bands hatched a plan.
"So at the end of the tour… Their head of security was a guy who used who worked for us for a period of time. So we knew him… And we were like, 'Hey, Tom, at the end of tours, a lot of times, people will prank each other." Shinoda remembers. "You think we could prank Metallica?' And he was James Hetfield's guy. And he's, like, 'Well, I don't know if you know this, but that's never been done. But I think I can work it out.'"
During Metallica's set, Linkin Park came out onto the stage with a blanket, a picnic basket, and sandwiches and sodas. They started having a picnic while Metallica was playing "Ride The Lightning." Shinoda said that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich "lost the plot entirely." The other band members were also confused and surprised, but they eventually realized that they were being pranked.
"They had this platform behind them. Chester Bennington comes out. He has a skateboard. And we go up to the middle of it, and we pull out sandwiches and sodas, and we start having a picnic on their stage. And they're doing, like, 'Ride The Lightning'. People are trying to take 'em seriously, and Chester's literally skating back and forth behind them eating a sandwich. The guys in the band — I think Lars lost the plot entirely… They figured it out very quickly. 'Cause nobody goes on stage with them. So they were, like, 'What the hell's happening?' It was awesome."
