Download: Metallica fans to sing in memory of super fan, 67

Rock fans have pledged to sing along as loudly as possible in memory of a 67-year-old super fan when Metallica headline a festival this week.

Lindsay Rochester asked members of the Download Festival Facebook group to sing Wherever I May Roam so her "beautiful mum can hear from heaven".

Her mum Marilyn, who died unexpectedly last year, had asked for the song to be the exit music at her funeral.

Lindsay said she had been tearful when reading the responses to her post.

"The whole community just generally come together anyway, but to get a response like that, I was just overwhelmed," she said.

"I showed my daughter Morgan and she was just welling up reading them."

Lindsay is taking nine-year-old Morgan to Download, at Donington Park, Leicestershire, as she is also a huge fan of the American heavy metal band.

"We used to get her to sleep to Metallica and Slipknot when she was a baby, so she's grown up with rock music on in the house," said Lindsay, of Paignton, Devon.

"My mum was her best mate so she's grieving quite heavily for my mum.

"We are going to make some serious memories for mum and almost carry on the bond that I had with mum, taking my daughter to her first big festival."

Metallica are headlining the festival, which begins on Thursday, on two nights but Lindsay and her daughter are only going on the Saturday for financial reasons, so she hopes they play Wherever I May Roam that day.

She and Morgan are travelling up from Devon early that morning.

"My mum should have been at Download this year, but because she's not, if they do play it it's going to be emotional," said Lindsay.

The first gig Lindsay attended was Metallica at Milton Keynes National Bowl with her mum in 1992 when she was 15.

"That kicked off my passion for going to festivals and gigs," she said.

Lindsay said she had been to countless gigs and festivals with her mum, and they had seen Metallica together five times.

Marilyn had an autoimmune disease and died after getting a cold that spread to her chest, after also having Covid.

She chose to withdraw her treatment in hospital.

"To stop her treatment was very heroic as she saved herself not only a life of complete and utter change but she saved us from seeing her like that," said Lindsay.

One of the responses to Lindsay's post said: "I will 100% belt this out so your lovely mum can hear us all. This is a beautiful idea and I hope everyone helps you out with it. So sorry for your loss, she will be with you at Download in spirit."

Another said: "Your mum sounds like an awesome lady and I'm sure everyone will sing their hearts out for her."

Someone else said: "What the Download family is for. We will make her proud!!"

Another said: "Sorry for your loss, I will absolutely strain my lungs to their max capacity in her honour for you."

Lindsay said Morgan was "super-excited" to go to Download and was telling all her friends.

"I always promised her that when Metallica play I would take her," she said.

"To hear the crowd turn it up a little bit for Mum would be amazing."

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