One of the funniest and most endearing stories involving Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead) and Metallica took place backstage at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 14, 2009, during Metallica’s World Magnetic Tour. Metallica was in the middle of a relaxed jam session in the dressing room. James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, Lars Ulrich, and a few other friends (including Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses) were playing some casual jams. Suddenly, Lemmy walked into the room. Robert Trujillo began clapping excitedly, and Lemmy, in his characteristic raspy voice, James Hetfield greeted him with a respectful smile: “Hello, sir.” Lemmy sat down, tuned his bass, and, without further ado, the entire group launched into two Motörhead classics from 1979: first “Damage Case” and then “Too Late Too Late.” Lemmy and Hetfield took turns on vocals, with Lemmy on bass and singing with all his raw energy, while Metallica backed him up with groove and enthusiasm. At the end of the second song, James Hetfield joked, “Are we hired?” Lemmy replied with a laugh, “Yeah, I guess so… but you’ve got to get rid of that drummer.” Lars Ulrich, keeping his sense of humor, answered instantly, “I’ve been trying to get out of here for 25 years!” Everyone burst out laughing. That casual backstage moment was captured on video and shows the genuine chemistry between them: Metallica always viewed Lemmy as an idol and mentor. Lars Ulrich has often recounted that as a teenager he was president of the Motörhead fan club on the West Coast (along with Cliff Burton) and that he tried to keep up with Lemmy’s drinking pace… only to end up throwing up. That mutual admiration led to several on-stage collaborations, but the 2009 backstage jam is particularly warm and spontaneous. It was a meeting of legends that epitomized the respect and friendship between Motörhead’s wildest rock and Metallica’s thrash. A slice of pure, unfiltered heavy metal history.