And for Korn fans, guitarist Brian “Head” Welch is as big as they come.

So when Greg Perry, owner of Bendigo’s Muso’s Stuff, received a call from a mate asking if the American artist could make an appearance at his shop, there was no way he could say no.

“We have a mutual friend who lives in Bendigo, they used to do stuff together in America and they kept in contact. Brian always said next time he was on tour he would come up here and hang out with him,” Mr Perry said.

“He asked me if he could hang out in the store for a few hours.

“It was amazing – he could have spent days in a five-star hotel in Melbourne before their show, but he wanted to meet some new people.”

News of Brian Welch’s appearance spread quickly and up to 90 fans crowded inside the store on Mitchell Street on Thursday afternoon.

The guitarist told stories about how Korn found the sounds for their unique tracks, which went on to form a whole new genre of metal.

He also spoke about his battle with drug addiction and how he managed to find new meaning in life.

Head then played a few riffs and spoke about where each sound came from, the band’s influences, and the “collision of ideas”.

Mr Perry said Head was very generous with his time and spoke with fans at length as they lined up for photos and autographs.

“He was blown away by how many fans came out to meet him,” he said.

“He’s just a great guy. When you peel away the tats and the dreadlocks, and the rock star persona, there’s just a good human being under there.”

It was one of the biggest names in music to visit Bendigo, Mr Perry said.

“Korn were at the forefront of a different sound, they influenced so many other bands and they are still making new music,” he said.

“There wouldn’t be too many bigger names who have had as big a influence as him. Brian would certainly be the biggest name we’ve had in our store.”

Korn are in Australia for the Download Festival at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday.