It’s 1996 and I’m 11. I’m gifted a bunch of CDs from my metalhead Uncle. Unknowingly I put one in my Sony Discman and hear ‘Twist’ for the first time. It’s confusing, it’s wildly overstimulating and I can’t quite figure out how a human being can do such things with their voice. It’s like nothing I have ever heard in my life. I’m instantly obsessed. A few years later Korn are coming to Adelaide for the Big Day Out. I’m 14 and my Mum forbids it (sorry Mum, I know I can’t let it go…)
25 years later I’m standing in the AEC arena with my 12-year-old son who is wearing the red and black ADIDAS tracksuit that he specifically requested for Christmas, because it’s the exact one Jonathan Davis wears in the film clip for ‘Blind’
I don’t need to tell you how significant this show was for me and the 10’000 or so other Adelaide fans who sold out the Entertainment Centre last night, or the colossal impact Korn have made on the music industry that carries on through generations of artists and music lovers alike. Davis even made a point of saying that the “new skool fans here- and there are a lot of you, you MFs weren’t even born yet” as the band commemorated 30 years since their debut self-titled album.
Last minute support LOATHE brought a familiar flavour of proggy metalcore to the mix- a Liverpool based outfit that despite only forming in 2014, had a style reminiscent of that 90s experimental era of heavy metal with some serious Deftones vibes. They worked hard to warm up the crowd and had good engagement with everyone waving in synchronicity.
Interestingly for a retrospective anniversary show, Korn came in with opener ‘Here to Stay’ from 2002 release ‘Untouchables’ although it was fitting and definitely fired up the audience as the bright red tracksuit donning frontman emerged in all his glory and yes- old mate JD is still very sexy. What ensued was nothing short of a 1.5 hour long cardio session where Korn’s most prominent and adored tracks were performed to a very sweaty and excited crowd.
‘Dead Bodies Everywhere’ boasted their exceptional talent for creating an unsettling and eccentric soundscape with their iconic distorted bass lines and eerie guitar tones- no reliance on backing tracks here, this was authentic as it gets with James “Munky” Shaffer delivering hellish inhuman backing vocals over scratchy high pitched guitar notes embellished by the wizardry of Brian “Head” Welsh.
‘Got the Life’ and ‘ADIDAS’ incited an absolute frenzy which left me wondering four tracks in how they could possibly sustain this kind of energy until 10.30pm, before ‘Hey Daddy’ from 1999 album ‘Issues’ gave us all a minute to breathe and also remember the fact that Davis actually has a sensational singing voice while he pranced up and down the stage like the incredible showman he is. His remarkable range and energy was clearly demonstrated throughout ‘Start the Healing’ while he threw out aggressive growls between his unique tenor vocals.
“Are you readdddyy!!!” incites the entire venue to explode during ‘Blind’ with everyone bouncing, and kicks off a string of tracks from their debut album including ‘Ball Tongue’ and ‘Clown’. ‘Shoots and Ladders’ begins with Davis on the bagpipes and ends with an interlude cover of Metallica’s ‘One’.
A quick smack in the face with that iconic track ‘Twist’ and Davis proclaims; “fk I’m having fun! This is the shit!” before commanding the audience to put their middle fingers up and scream ‘Fk that!’ to bring in ‘Y’all want a single?’
Encore required some effort from the crowd, as the back screen lit up with text cheekily asking us to scream for it, taunting that we aren’t being loud enough and they can’t hear us. As things escalated and got louder, the band emerged again to play three final tracks ‘Falling Away from Me’, ‘Oildale (Leave Me Alone)’ and finishing strong with ‘Freak on a Leash’
Still on a high, everyone boogies out as ‘Lowrider’ plays over the speakers. We are completely wiped out and satisfied. From the selection of tracks to the enormous sound and the band’s powerful and stunning performances, Korn have come through the other side of 30 years with the same fierce energy that started a golden era of experimental heavy music. This concert was everything my 14-year-old self wanted and needed and while it took me 25 years to get here, it was better than I had ever imagined.
With many thanks to Dallas Does PR for the media access.
Catch KORN at this years Good Things Festival
