Slipknot's Corey Taylor fronted Korn at Download in 2006

Corey Taylor fronts Korn in 2006 — (Image credit: YouTube)

Download Festival 2006 was memorable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was only the second time the event saw three full days of sunshine, which, if you're an annual punter, you'll know is a rare sight to behold. Secondly, Metallica, who headlined on the Saturday, played Master Of Puppets in full to mark its 20th anniversary. And thirdly, we saw true nu metal nirvana when Slipknot's Corey Taylor stepped up to front Korn.

Mid-way through a mighty weekend, boasting a stacked line-up featuring Guns N' Roses, Avenged Sevenfold (who came out wearing England football kits), Trivium and many more, Taylor's cameo officially solidified Download 2006 as one for the history books.

Things at Donington started to take a turn for the unexpected when rumours began to spread across the festival site on Saturday afternoon that something strange had happened, and that Korn, who were due to perform just before Metallica, might not be able to play. It was soon confirmed by the band that vocalist Jonathan Davis had been taken to hospital, and that his spot would be filled in by guest singers.

After Davis' bandmates explained the situation on stage, what followed was one of the most unique and memorable Download sets of all time, featuring Korn classics sung by M Shadows, Dez Fafara, Benji Webbe, Matt Heafy and, er, Jesse Hasek from 10 Years.

Undoubtedly though, the most memorable section of the show was Corey Taylor – playing Donington Park that weekend with Stone Sour – stepping onstage to sing Clown and Freak On A Leash. Taylor even bravely took on the scatting section of Freak, resulting in an unforgettable moment in Korn history, and the day's biggest cheers.

Watch the magic unfold below:

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Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.