Metallica frontman James Hetfield took a nasty fall in the Netherlands last night (Sept. 4), tumbling into a gap that had just appeared in Metallica’s custom stage.

The thrash legends performed at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam last night, giving fans an 18-song set filled with tracks spanning Metallica’s entire career. Early into the set, Metallica were jamming “Now That We’re Dead” from their latest album, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. Metallica’s unique stage is constantly shifting and Hetfield forgot where he was for split second.

Four gaps appeared in the stage simultaneously so custom percussion could rise from beneath. Barely two seconds after the portions of the stage had been lowered, Hetfield fell right into the thin gap, smashing his face into the stage as he tumbled downward. It was a truly ugly fall, leaving Hetfield clutching his head for about 10 seconds while two crew members came to his aid.

Like a champ, Hetfield got back up and kept playing, shaking off the fall and continuing with the arena show. “Is everybody OK?,” he asked. “Yes, I’m OK. My ego, not so much.”

The fans in Amsterdam even got a special treat later in the set as Metallica performed the Diamond Head classic “Am I Evil?” for the first time in two years.

Of course, this wasn’t Hetfield’s worst onstage accident, seriously burning himself after standing too close to pyro during Metallica’s 1992 tour with Guns N’ Roses. Watch fan-filmed footage of Hetfield’s tumble above and below.