We’re back again, it’s so good that Knotfest has kicked off in the way it has and now in its third year we are back in Centennial Park once again for a day of metal and we are ready!
Once again we were lucky enough to get a special tour of the Slipknot museum before gates opened and this year it was even better, just seeing the rows and rows of jumpsuits and masks that have been worn over the years is beyond impressive. Caelin has outdone herself this year and I said it last year, make sure you go and see this at the festival next year, it’s definitely something pretty awesome to see.
After checking out the grounds and securing a wristband to meet Corey Taylor later on, Drain who are a late addition to the day open the show on stage 2 and there are already people in the pit losing their minds. This is gonna be a big day for them if they’re peaking this early.
Sunami keep things going and have a good crowd watching, and that’s what I love about these kind of festivals, so many people come out early to see all the bands and support the community, and it’s great to see.
Vended which features the son of Corey Taylor on vocals is delivering right now. These guys are good!!! Working through their set they are killing it, even the inflatable lobster is having a great time in the pit. As they have a couple to go they absolutely smash these out to a very receptive crowd. Give these guys a few years and they’ll be much higher up the list on the day. That was impressive.
Miss May I are up there doing their thing and these melodic heavy songs are perfect for today. Great to see them on early and delivering. I’ve seen these guys before and they never disappoint. You all know I love a good hook and Miss May I have those in droves. So that was a great set from a great band.
After going to try the Slipknot whisky and of course the rain starting. Typical for a festival out here, the well prepared in the line and around me bring out the ponchos and the others just grin and bear it for the next few minutes. Great whisky by the way.
While waiting in line we can hear Health who gave us something a little different which was really cool and awesome to hear as we walked around a bit more. Definitely on the playlist for this coming week. I’d never heard Health before and had no idea what to expect, so this was something surprising and interesting. I’m in.
Aussie legends, In Hearts Wake brought the heavy back in a big way. Things just continue to get heavier as the set goes on. Crowd surfers are always a treat and what looked like Kite Man doing his thing got a huge cheer. It’s always awesome to watch people getting into the Aussie bands and they were in a big way with In Hearts Wake today. For a band that’s been together almost twenty years they have refined their sound and made it theirs, and what a sound it is. I haven’t seen these guys enough and that’s a crime.
Time for Hatebreed to make their return to Australian stages after a long time away. Coming on to ‘Rock and Roll Outlaw’ and it’s so good to have them back, and immediately into ‘Proven’ they are definitely proven something right now, terrible joke but you get it. Jamey and crew are on fire, they smash through a ferocious set of fifteen songs and every one killing it. Guitar issues ended ‘A Call For Blood’ early but that didn’t stop them powering on. The diehards enjoyed this immensely and those who had never seen the band before just may have become new ones. Closing the set with ‘Looking Down the Barrel of Today’ was perfect. Thank you Hatebreed, don’t take that long to come and see us again.
Enter Shikari are back and it hasn’t been that long for them and they are welcomed back any time they’re here as their style is awesome, different, and enjoyed by many here today. Working through their set, they give us a killer mix of ten tracks with trumpets ahoy, I mean a trumpet was definitely not on my bingo card for Knotfest today. Enter Shikari is truly an awesome band and the festival stage suits them perfectly. They own it up there and I dare say we’ll be seeing them again soon. Ending with ‘A Kiss for the Whole World x’ is a nice way to go out.
Within Temptation are in Sydney FINALLY and their only appearance in Sydney also, so I for one can’t wait and am ready to get some symphonic metal into me from a band I’ve listened to for a long time. Oh man this is huge. The band explode as they open with ‘We Go To War’ and Sharon takes the stage and her powerful vocals take on centennial park this will be something! A quick costume change and into the title track from their most recent album ‘Bleed Out’ and this is what I wanted, it’s actually better than I expected. Hearing ‘Paradise (What About Us?)’ live for the first time is amazing. Oh man I wish I saw these guys at their own show this is so powerful and would be insane in a smaller venue. ‘Faster’ is a big one and got everyone going. They just keep belting out big ones but as we get towards the end of the set ‘The Reckoning’ is huge and worthy of this huge set. Closing with ‘Supernova’ is apt as this set has been like one. After 30 years I’m so glad they came and I hope that wasn’t the first and last time. That was amazing.
Slaughter To Prevail are HEAVY with a capital H, E, A, V, and Y. Rockin’ the Luc Longley jersey singer Alex Terrible is a machine!! This band is huge too, the masks are scary but it works and are perfect. Stopping mid song to get someone in to help. They were definitely a draw card for many today and they played a loud, ferocious, and heavy set. I really wanted to stay for these guys as I am impressed but it’s time to go and meet Corey Taylor.
I was lucky to be one of a hundred people to say a quick hello and get an autograph from Corey which was awesome, and love that he took the time out to do that.
Back to the stages and Polaris open their set with a bang as streamers fly through the sky as ‘Nightmare’ begins. Wow these songs are big and there’s flames too, amazing. Huge breakdowns and a show that has grown to no end over the years. These guys are masters at what they do. Powering through they did not miss a beat. It is so great to see how good Aussie metal is and how strong it is with bands like Polaris out there. Closing with ‘Inhumane’ was perfect. I need to add these guys to my do not miss seeing live list.
Baby Metal… now this is amazing. The introduction, the choreography, the heaviness, this is wild and I have no idea what is going on. ‘BABYMEATL DEATH’ starts us off and after a couple of songs the band stays on to play in ‘Metali!!’ and watching the crowd get into this is insane, especially with Tom Morello on the screen. Getting everyone down to then jump up again is always a treat. Then when ‘Karate’ kicked in though that was the best, there’s pits, walls of deaths, and the crowd is loving this. ‘Ratatata’ with Electric Callboy is next and the energy stays up and everyone cheered that one big time. ‘Gimme chocolate’ is a fair statement but also a very fun song! Closing with ‘Road of Resistance’ that was fun. That was different and we need that sometimes.
A Day To Remember kick things off with ‘The Downfall of Us All’ and they are back!! Straight into one of my faves ‘All I Want’ and this is early for this one and if that doesn’t get the crowd going then not much more will. ‘2nd Sucks’ opening up two circle pits is nuts but it happened. Massive breakdowns and fire shooting into the air and this is entertaining with ‘Feedback’. The place erupts when ‘I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’ is announced and goes even crazier when they start it and when the breakdown hits the pot opens up again. ‘Right Back at It Again’ is catchy and heavy and shows how great this band is. Here’s a brand new song called ‘LeBron’ and this is catchy!! So make sure you pick up the new album on physical media as you can’t stream it yet, love that idea from the band. Bloody hell ‘Miracle’ is insane and this is now my favourite of the day. Then as ‘Mr Highway’s Thinking About The End’ rips us a new one, then we get a cover of ‘Rescue Me’ featuring beach balls was cool, then slowing things down a little for ‘Have Faith in Me’ which was a welcome change from the onslaught of the day thus far. Sending some love to Sydney and another brand new one with the extremely heavy ‘Make It Make Sense’ and I’m in. Then ‘Resentment’ ruled, followed by ‘Paranoia’ keeps those hooks in. Then for the first time today we see an acoustic guitar and as Jeremy gives us some love they get the park lit up for ‘If It Means A Lot To You’ and what a nice change of pace. Closing with ‘All Signs Point to Lauderdale’ was the only way to close. Geez I forgot how good ADTR were live and now I won’t be forgetting that again.
Slipknot time. Lit in green the stage is set. ‘(sic)’ opens the show and you can’t deny just how good this band is. “Sydney are you fucking ready?!” Corey yells before ‘People = Shit’ which of course has been a live staple for the band for years. The heavy continues with ‘Gematria (The Killing Name)’ before a very haunting piece and Corey addressing Clown not being here due to a family matter before ‘Wait and Bleed’ begins and what a song that always has been. It is the first song I ever heard of theirs and it’s still a favourite. ‘No Life’ I can’t say I’ve ever heard live before so that was really cool. I think same goes for ‘Yen’ which I really dug. ‘The Devil in I’ has become a big one for the band and tonight is no different. Another piece with Sid doing his thing before ‘The Heretic Anthem’ gets things crazily heavy again and as always if you’re 555 then I’m 666. Ok time for easily the best Slipknot song, yes I’ll fight you on that, it’s ‘Psychosocial’ and it never disappoints. They nailed that one. Corey chats to us again before ‘Unsainted’ which ruled and then as we push our fingers into our eyes it’s time for ‘Duality’ which is the third best Slipknot song ha ha. The fake goodbye before returning for ‘Spit it Out’ and then with a middle finger raised it’s ‘Surfacing’ and our “national anthem” according to Corey. That did kick some ass though I must say. With only one to go it’s ‘Scissors’ and what a way to go out with a song not played in Sydney in 25 years. Wow.
Slipknot truly are an amazing live band and one you need to see at least once because after that once it’ll become every time. That was impressive, even if the second best Slipknot song didn’t make it into their set. I kid, but the festival that bears their name is so worthy of it, and it’s run amazingly. Kudos to everyone involved!!
See you next year!
Essential Information
Venue: Centennial Park – Sydney
Date: March 8, 2025
Presented by: Destroy All Lines, TEG Live
