Slipknot at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Saturday, August 10th, 2024

Slipknot stopped at both Camden's Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Saturday, August 10th, and Madison Square Garden on Monday, August 12th celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled album, and we were there to celebrate with them! Slipknot was one of the first real metal bands I had the pleasure of seeing, so when they announced they were coming around to celebrate 25 years of Slipknot (1999), I couldn't resist and bought myself a pit ticket with early entry. Thanks to that bit of FOMO, I found myself riding the rail for the entire night. And while I couldn't bring all my gear into the show, I couldn't be that close to The Nine and not give it my best shot with my phone. Kicking off the night was Sweden's Orbit Culture. On paper, the melo-death group was a surprising choice to open for such a massive evening of nu-metal destruction when you consider the bands Slipknot has brought out on tour in recent years, let alone over their nearly 30-year career. However, they were the right choice, as all of the maggot faithful down front, who mere moments before were asking if anyone heard of the group, were banging their heads and throwing down in the pit. They even got two pretty big walls of death from both down front and way back on the lawn, which I've seen headlining bands have trouble getting. As for their actual performance, Orbit Culture brought 6 killer songs from their discography that really got everyone ready for the night to come. Next up is one of the biggest groups in hardcore right now, the one and only Knocked Loose. While some may not like the higher pitch of frontman Bryan Garris' screams, that didn't stop the Camden crowd from going absolutely insane from start to finish. Even those around me who said they weren't a fan of the style were banging their heads just as hard as I was, and I've been with them since 2016's Laugh Tracks. With a career-spanning set that leaned heavily into their most recent release You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (2024), the group brought the same level of energy they brought on their headlining tour just a few months prior. It's safe to say that after their set the crowd was warmed up for the main event. The first thing I'll mention about Slipknot's set is that it came with a departure from their more recent intros, as instead of a classic hard rocker like AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" or Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil" they used Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" to bring a more unsettling feeling and had no curtain drop. The different intro didn't change how excited the crowd was, because the silence after "Dream Weaver" lasted all of a second before a deafening roar came from behind me as the lights went out. A repeating audio clip of the Grady Twins' "Come Play with Us" from The Shining (1980) came over the speakers, bringing out the one and only #0 to start the real intro, "742617000027" for the rest of the band to come out to. What followed was a relentless set front-loaded with Slipknot's set staples kicked off with "(sic)". I had the pleasure of being directly in front of #7 Mick Thomson for most of the night, with #6 Clown being not too far away, which as both a guitarist and percussionist was an absolute dream. After the first few songs, #8 himself Corey Taylor told the crowd that "Every song you will hear tonight was written before, or during, 1999" spurring the loudest reaction I've ever heard from a crowd. With every song came a new surge of energy from the crowd behind me, with every break came a roar of approval, and with every word came a 25,000-strong echo. Slipknot saved the best for last with fan favorite and usual set closers in "Spit It Out" and our 'old' national anthem "Surfacing", followed by the original version of Slipknot's final song "Scissors". And with a simple cut to black after thanking the crowd for making everything possible, a night of celebration was over, leaving everyone wanting more and looking forward to the future of Slipknot. Slipknot played a 16-song set that included: 742617000027/(sic) Eyeless Wait and Bleed Get This Eeyore Tattered and Torn (Sid Wilson Remix) Me Inside Liberate Frail Limb Nursery/Purity Prosthetics No Life Only One Mudslide (tape) Spit It Out Surfacing Scissors Tickets for future dates of this tour and more information about Slipknot can be found at slipknot1.com.