Hello again, as promised in my main Download review, I will be looking in detail at the blistering set that Slipknot gave on Saturday at Download Festival. I am also adding this to my series #MyMetalVault as my first exposure to the festival came from the band’s first headline performance there 10 years ago. I had my spiritual awakening as a 12-year-old watching this set and have so much to thank Slipknot for in developing my identity, hence why I will defend them ‘til the day I die. They opened my third eye to metal live performances and the violent, passionate energy that seeps through the crowd. I watched the ‘09 set religiously as a new metalhead and so wished that I could attend this festival one day. The band themselves saw their 4th headlining slot at the festival this weekend, and it was 10 years since their first, making it very special for the band and maggots alike.

The first time I actually saw Slipknot was at Wembley Arena on their Prepare for Hell tour after the release of .5: The Grey Chapter. Having been a fan of them for 5 years and seeing Joey leave and Paul die, it was a miracle this album happened and that they were touring on UK soil, so I jumped at the chance to see them. Support came from Korn and King 810 and I couldn’t have asked for a better gig that night. It was my 5th gig at the time and my first time standing too so everything fell into place. The performance was energetic and magical and completed me. However, I seemed to enjoy the gig on Saturday far more as it was more of a religious experience for me being that my introduction to heavier music came from them and my love for festival culture birthed after that infamous set. This review/reflection will explore how my experience went on Saturday night and also how it compared to ’09 and reminded me of my childhood self, obsessing over The Nine.

Hope you enjoy.

Die Antwoord had just finished their crazy, animated set and we had an hour and 10-minute wait for the stage to be set up and for the Nine to come on stage. I was talking with the other festivalgoers about the band and what we thought of them. Some people had seen them previously (like one guy saw them 8 times), others were Slipknot virgins, one guy even said that this Download was his first concert ever. It was interesting finding out what people thought about them and their music. I made sure that I was right at the front for this (and on the left side to be next to Jim <3) being my fave band on the bill, so I was standing from when Power Trip came on. I was a few people behind barrier but as the crowd pushed and shoved, I was basically at barrier all night long. A curtain concealed the stage, baring a large Slipknot logo, while they were setting everything up. Soon, the intro music (515) started and the crowd began to roar.

Slipknot opening download Festival 2019

The opening riff to People=Shit began and as soon as Corey bellowed his scream, the curtain was sucked up, revealing the monstrous set on stage. The crowd instantaneously pushed to the front and pits were starting everywhere. The time of the Nine had officially begun. (sic) then followed and the first wave of crowd surfers came as they couldn’t cope with the intensity of the crowd. The security looked hella dazed when the surfers came throughout the night, it was like they were shocked at how intense we were. The words ‘You can’t kill me/cuz I’m already inside you’ echoed throughout the fields and my sense of euphoria was only lifting.

Get This came on next, which was one of two songs I heard during the soundcheck at the campsite in the morning (the other being an instrumental of All Out Life). This is a really fun song live and I get why it is on their setlists. The latest single ‘Unsainted’, off the soon to be released We Are Not Your Kind, was played all throughout the weekend as they were advertising this album. People kept on singing along to the snippet of this song in the intermissions when it came on so when I finally heard it live, it was magical. Fan faves of Disasterpiece, The Heretic Anthem, Before I Forget followed this song equating to more pits and sing-alongs.

Slipknot - Unsainted, Live at Download 2019

Slipknot - The Heretic Anthem (Live at Download Festival 2019)

Psychosocial began, and this being the first Slipknot song I had heard, it was emotional to hear and sing along to that chorus. Another fave single of mine came on, The Devil In I, and reminded me of when the hype for The Grey Chapter was about to be released. A deep cut made it on to the set too which I was over moon about. This was Prosthetics from the debut album, and it left me wanted and hoping that they would one day pull out more from their amazing back catalogue. Probably my fave trilogy of the night (Vermillion/Custer/Sulfur) followed this. Vermillion was one of my fave songs from the ’09 set and my fave from the first Slipknot show I saw so hearing this again was beautiful. I’ve always loved the hook during Custer and Sulfur, for a while, was my fave Slipknot song so these were good to hear too.

The other new song in Slipknot’s catalogue, All Out Life, then came on and this being my fave out of the 2 new singles it was so cathartic to hear 100,000 people chanting ‘WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND’. Corey then sang ‘I push my fingers into my’ which was responded to by the crowd singing ‘EYYYYEEES’. Even though Duality is an overplayed song, it is an anthem live. There was no encore as they were slightly late coming on stage, so they went straight into Spit It Out. The jumpthefuckup is always a great sight to witness and be a part of. I know many other bands try to do it and while it is fun then, it is really Slipknot’s thing and other bands should quiver in fear when they attempt to do it. It is synonymous for me to see at least one naked person during this part of the show and there he was several rows behind me, bollock naked, on top of someone’s shoulders. This happened at the first Slipknot gig I went too as well, and I’ve seen it happen on other Slipknot footage too (what this band does to people, is beyond me). The national anthem, Surfacing, closed a brilliant set and I felt more cathartic during this song too screaming that chorus. The set finished with the speakers playing ‘Til we Die, filling my heart with joy and sadness.

SLIPKNOT ~ ALL OUT LIFE (Download Festival) 15.06.19

Slipknot - Spit It Out Live At Download Festival 2019

The whole experience was ethereal and magical and went by so quickly, I want another taste of the ‘Knot so badly (UK tour 2020 woop woop). It was everything I hoped for and more. This set was better than when I saw them on the Prepare for Hell tour a few years ago (tho I still enjoyed that too). The new songs were great, especially All Out Life. I wanted barrier but I was squished against a human barrier all night long. Surprisingly I lasted, and I was right in sight of Jim, one of the many loves of my life (festival goals). The people next to me were amazing to be around as they were all so passionate about the band and we all had a great sing along together.

I loved seeing Sid being the goofball he is on stage and the new guy has EN-ER-GY!!! I loved it when Jim was goofing around with him too. Mick is fucking menacing live so when he came over to my side on a few songs, I was in awe of him ironically. I didn’t see much of Clown, Craig and Jay but I felt their presence haha. Clown done well to come out on this tour after the passing of his daughter a few weeks ago. V-Man has come into his own as well and I liked how he was moving around the stage a bit more. Corey, even though he is a meme, is undeniably a great frontman and is a legend amongst the modern metal bands. I’ve always admired his crowd interaction and how he makes the fans feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. As for #4, my beloved Jim Root, seeing him play live with the class and charisma he has, it’s made me fall in love with him all over again and I’ve been binging anything Jim related since I’ve been back (and crying immensely over him).

*the #MyMetalVault portion of the blog*

I rewatched the (sic)nesses DVD to get a clear idea with what I was gonna speak about and straightaway I felt emotional. A clusterfuck of nostalgia, sadness, happiness and excitement ran through my head from the second the boys came on stage. This instantly reminded me of the anticipation I felt before they came on Saturday. It felt bittersweet to see Joey, Chris and Paul as part of the lineup too which made it more hard-hitting for me to watch.

Seeing the instant rush of fans swarming to the front also reminded me of Saturday (my body did not forgive me I tell ya). When the intro of 742617000027, my neurons got all fuzzy in my brain and it felt mind-blowing to watch the beginning of (sic). As the camera panned round the grounds of the arena, I was reminded of the mud and good times watching each band throughout the weekend. It focused a lot on the left side too and the memories of being squished came into my mind.

It felt odd not seeing the big LED screens on either side of the stage with the totem poles and to see an array of flags in the sea of people as they aren’t allowed anymore. The heartbreak I feel when I see anything to do with Paul is painful, so when I saw Chris playing bass with Paul during Eyeless, it hurt and even more so with remembering that Chris is no longer in the band too. Their set has more grandiose compared to 10 years ago, the percussion kits are huge af now and are on some sort of platform where the members can walk on top of them which I think is super dope. The pyro is still the same, but the fireworks during the opening of (sic) in 09 are awesome. The mystery of the curtain they use now is quite cool too.

(sic)nesses - Eyeless - HD - Slipknot - Live at Download 2009 - 3

The camaraderie is between this band is still there 10 years later, even with the addition of the new members. Chrisn’t (as the maggots on Reddit call him) is a vibrant member of the band who emulates Chris’s mannerisms well and the band are giving him some light hazing as their EU festival appearances go on. I love how this hasn’t changed over the last 10 years, and seeing the part in the set where Jim takes off one of the kegs with his back reminded me of him goofing off with members on the stage on Saturday, adding to the fact why he is my fave member. What I did miss on Saturday though is when either a member would come around the barrier and greet fans like Chris or Sid usually did. But various members like Jim, Sid and V-Man did come to the side of the stage I was on, so it kinda made up for it.

*insert Jim fangirlisms here* Jim was and always will be so classy live. His headbanging was educational for me as a kid and I honestly cannot take my eyes off him during the ‘09 performance. There’s something in the way he performs that confuffles my braincells and I want to know what runs through his mind as he plays magnificently on his guitar. His improvising during the solo on Before I Forget in the '09 set is something very eargasmic :heart: The way he is in sync with Mick makes me appreciate their pairing even more and I would love to be a fly on the wall as they go through guitar parts together. This was definitely seen on Saturday too and ya girl is in love all over again. (no more mush, I promise)

I love the change in pace in the setlist between the 2 years. (sic) is still near the beginning but having People=Shit at the beginning this time around kicked off the evening with a bang. Most of the time the best songs are at the end so I guess they’ve seen how fans react to it near the end and had it in the beginning this time (I mean it does start off their heaviest album, Iowa, so I get it). There were 11 songs that were the same between the sets and most of the songs on either set come from their debut. The addition of the new songs from the albums prior to .5 makes a nice change as I’ve seen how songs like The Heretic Anthem go off live before. Like I mentioned before I would love them to explore their deep cuts more as Prosthetics is dope live (Opium of the People and Gematria anyone?). Closing the set with ‘Til We Die too had a nice touch as when I was watching the bois on Saturday, I was reminded of the DVD too.

I think vocally Corey is better now. I know that he has stopped smoking so that might be something to do with it, but his vocals were still strong during the ’09 performance. Duality is a class song live and the crowd is so powerful at that moment. With a band as dear to my heart as Slipknot is, I often dismiss the singles as they are overplayed and the deep cuts feel more fresh to my ears, but in a live setting, I live for anthems like this so I felt the same visceral power from the crowd on Saturday too. This performance is one of many performances that are a staple in their career and I’m so glad it found its way into my life and touched my heart in ways I cannot fathom to describe.

Slipknot Duality Live At Download Festival 2009

The high I feel when watching (sic)nesses now is ethereal and it helps me come to terms with the fact that my 10-year dream is now a reality and it just so happens that Slipknot were invited to come back on the year I went. It feels surreal knowing I’ve been on the other side of this and what the atmosphere is like in between bands and the bits that I’ve missed just watching it on TV. They showed an announcement before the headliner which was aiding people find the right exit when leaving and it was cool to see the little boy in the video dressed up as Corey Taylor on the night. All throughout the set on Saturday, I had visions of me as a teen, headbanging in my room, pretending I was Jim, watching (sic)nesses. I thought about how amazing it would have been to see Paul, Chris and Joey on that stage but as much as I would go in a time machine to do it, this set was my own personal experience and I cherish it dearly.

SlipKnot Surfacing Live At Download 2009

I hope you enjoyed my 2 part blog on this year’s Download Festival. If you’re lucky enough to have gone, I wanna hear your experiences too. If you wanna watch the highlights and have access to the channel Sky Arts, then they will show them on the 6th and 7th of July, if not there’s always YouTube :blush: until that happens I’ll be seeing Metallica and Bon Jovi to fill the void. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see ya in the next one.