“Where you gonna be in the next (25 years)? (Fuck me… I’m all out of enemies)”
The world is gleefully riding this incredible nostalgic wave of Nu Metal Renaissance which has been bringing Millennial Metal Gods back to our shores after some very long absences. Slipknot had been long overdue and feverishly anticipated, selling out the AEC arena for their only Australian Knotfest sideshow. Corey Taylor proclaimed that there was “no f**king way” they were going to come to Australia and not visit Adelaide, almost as if it was just as sentimental to them. Only a few minutes up the road from the venue and just over 25 years ago, the mask donning Iowan 9 piece freaks obliterated the Thebarton Theatre with their genre bending, brain hammering noise that none of us had ever experienced in our lives. That night Clown set his trash can drums on fire and threw himself off the balcony into the audience. I was 15, unchaperoned and covered in bruises from the unrelenting fired up crowd. That chaotic core memory is now solidified in my very being, just like the debut self-titled album that this world tour is intended to celebrate. Suffice to say for a lot of us in the audience last night, it was like coming home.
25 Years, seven studio albums, several mask redesigns, a whirlwind of line up changes later, and someone could (and probably should) do a PhD on the institution that is Slipknot. Obviously they are now far too big for DIY pyrotechnics at the Thebby- they gather crowds in the hundreds of thousands- yet they have maintained a level of energy that is unwavering and is truly special to witness.
This time I’m here with my freeloading Slipknot obsessed 12-year-old and I think I’ve told him about 6 times already that my ticket to Slipknot 2000 cost me $36.90, my hip hurts and no, I’m not going anywhere near that pit. Befitting of this running theme is opening act Vended– aka baby Slipknot, with Griffin Taylor at the helm, looking very much like his father and sporting the same impressive lung capacity. Yes, there is a new generation of brutality and as much as I want to talk about how bloody adorable that is, I will stick to the assignment and report that a modern twist on a familiar sound is the perfect legacy to offer the fans for this momentous occasion. Carrying on with the galvanising style of their hectic harbingers, Vended bring a fresh flavour and youthful energy to the mix with a depth and sophistication rarely seen in a band still in their infancy with their debut album released only last year. Nonetheless they captured the crowd and opened the pit, leaving no space in that giant arena unmoved by their monster sound.
The deja vu was all too wild when 742617000027 ripped through the eager audience, signalling the commencement of Slipknot’s set and yep, here comes the pain. The arena is packed with bouncing sweaty bodies, people are growling the lyrics to that very first face punch track (sic) exactly as they opened in 2000, at about the point I got pummelled in the middle of the pit 25 years ago. If I’m honest, I would have been more than happy for them to play through that entire album and nothing else, but there were fan favourites, undeniable catchy bangers and even new shit to play to appease everyone there. People = Shit fired up the audience again while new track Gematria (The Killing Name) was played live for only the third time- Corey promising that this set was special and specifically formulated for Australia.
The crowd favourites were purposefully peppered in there- The Devil in I, Psychosocial and Duality exacerbated the mass hysteria, while little interludes of intricate soundscaping infiltrated the insanity at times allowing some breathing space. There was a heartfelt and dramatic performance of Yen featuring some thick bass lines and xylophone percussion, while Sid’s very discombobulated mix up of Tattered and Torn against an unwavering strobe light show was probably enough to make many in the audience trip balls and rethink their life choices.
While the absence of founding member Clown was obvious (and very much acknowledged by Taylor) the energy was all there. The theatrics, the tomfoolery, the unhinged banging of instruments and makeshift instruments and the pushing of musical boundaries, matched with an incredible tightness and precision that is hard to sustain for over two decades. New drummer Eloy Casagrande of Sepultura prestige nails the thunderous rhythms and solidifies his place in the band. There is also the mysterious new member running around on stage that we still have no idea who they are. It’s all part of the charm of such a monumental act. It makes sense that after 25 years the Adelaide crowd has multiplied and we are all here for this incredible world renowned live experience. We expect nothing short of spectacular and they deliver.
The encore brought everything full circle- a true homage to the roots of Slipknot with Spit it Out, Surfacing and closing with Scissors. Yes, it cut deep having to get so dark at the end of such a euphoric night, but that is how we ended things in 2000, and that final track had not been played live in Australia since that tour. Raw and uninhibited- Corey Taylor’s delivery is nothing short of gut wrenching. He takes us back to the place it all began, where we all connected to this music. The show ends and all that is left is the muffled sound of a bewildered crowd blinded by the venue lights as they shuffle out. It’s eerie and uncomfortable. Exactly how it should be.
With thanks to Destroy All Lines & Dallas Does PR for the media access.
