Metallica Hang Out with Band They Mistakenly Threatened to Sue

Some very special guests were on hand at Metallica’s intimate gig for charity in Toronto this week: the members of a band Metallica mistakenly threatened to sue earlier this year.

Last January, the Toronto Metallica tribute act Sandman received a 41-page cease-and-desist order from an overzealous attorney in Metallica’s camp. The group—one of many Metallica tribute acts in the world—somehow caught the attorney’s attention, most likely by using “Metallica’s logos on or to identify or promote live musical performances through Facebook and YouTube,” according to the order.

The story took off when Sandman’s guitarist and vocalist, Joe di Taranto, posted about the letter on Facebook.

After news outlets picked up the story, Metallica stepped in to clean up the mess. The lawyer was fired, Metallica posted an apology, and Sandman was allowed to license the band’s logo for $1. Ulrich also contacted Taranto to apologize personally and give his blessing to the band’s efforts.

While in Toronto on November 29 to perform a benefit concert for the Daily Bread Food Bank, Metallica took the opportunity to hang with the group, as shown in the Instagram post below. We’ve also included a pair of clips from the show.

Hanging with Sandman, Canadian tribute band #metallica #metintoronto

A photo posted by Metallica (@metallica) on Nov 30, 2016 at 12:00am PST