As someone who was mercilessly ribbed for liking NU-metal at the height of its popularity in the late 90s and early-to-mid 00s, as well as Limp Bizkit themselves being one of the main punching bags for the movement, it’s somewhat bizarre and vindicating to see Limp Bizkit being one of the most revered live metal acts in the industry today. The funny thing is, even with the vitriol for the band at the time, my friends would haughtily dump on the band whilst occasionally letting out a gritted-teeth concession that they hate them, but “Break Stuff” is pretty “fun”. All of this cognitive dissonance and tribal nonsense out of the equation though, Limp Bizkit have always been a very talented band, with an unbelievable set of musicians making memorable songs with gargantuan payoffs, and a charismatic frontman who’s able to bring it all together. It’s this dynamic and chemistry that has, ironically, galvanised their sustainability and relevance for over thirty years, where other “more respected” bands in rock and metal have long since capitulated and fallen into the void of irrelevance. One of the main reasons for Limp Bizkit’s success, outside of their arsenal of classic tracks, is their reputation for putting on incredible live shows.
Despite loving their music for almost two-and-a-half decades, I’d never actually seen them perform live, which, getting straight to the point, they didn’t disappoint. One of the most alluring qualities was Fred Durst himself, who was once known for being the infamous, edgy frontman, always in the tabloids for doing some vapid rockstar antics. However, what we’ve been getting in recent years is a dude completely at peace with himself; a humble grandpa cruising around on stage having the time of his life, being courteous and genuinely grateful to see everyone there, while constantly looking out for the wellbeing of people in the crowd. The man didn’t miss a trick either, constantly staying ahead of the crowd and responding to it as necessary to ensure the energy remained at a fever pitch. Whilst on a technical level, his performance was faultless too, sounding as though he was still in his 20s. Outside of Fred’s cool disposition and vibrant performance, the rest of the band were unsurprisingly air-tight. Visually, each member had a distinct look to them – most prominently the juxtaposition between Wes’ Day of the Dead flavoured costume on the left-hand side and Sam’s 80’s Miami drug lord-look on the right – but performance wise, as the show progressed, everyone got a chance to shine, with DJ Lethal getting the crowd going on a couple occasions, and Wes performing some fiddly ambient guitar parts to break up the set. However, the best part for me was watching the criminally underrated rhythm section, John Otto and Sam Rivers, level the place; Rivers was very animated and kept the crowd lively, while Otto laid down his hard-hitting, infectious grooves unto the masses.
The setlist was stacked with wall-to-wall classics – “Break Stuff”, “My Way”, “Counterfeit”, “Nookie” and “Take a Look Around” – with some surprising numbers thrown in there for good measure (“Boiler” and “Behind Blue Eyes”), and a couple of capricious, short-burst jams in the form of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and Pantera’s “Walk” to keep the audience on their toes. Playing for about eighty minutes, this was a no-frills experience that showcased their most iconic tracks and will have surely satisfied everyone in the room. However, therein lies a minor criticism for me. While this was clearly catered with nostalgia in mind, and something the younger generations could easily latch onto, it was a damn shame we didn’t get to hear anything off their last two albums – one of which I regard their best record to date (2011’s Gold Cobra). It’s a little bemusing we got “Behind Blue Eyes” – albeit, I’ll admit it was more of an interlude that goes into the next song, with Fred singing over a backing track rather than a full band effort – over “Dad Vibes”, “Out of Style”, “Gold Cobra”, or “Bring it Back” when these songs are as equally fun as the aforementioned classics played on the night. Still, this was a minor point to an otherwise insane performance.
Overall, their live shows are something to behold. Next to maybe Slipknot, you won’t experience a crowd as energetic. One of the highlights was when the band brought up two fans to sing with Fred during “Full Nelson”, both of whom did a fantastic job holding their own throughout. The underlining point is that it’s Limp Bizkit’s advocation for fan participation that makes them so unique and such a powerhouse in a live setting; couple that with Fred’s astute ability at reading the room and adapting accordingly and the results are simply explosive. Definitely a band you should have on your bucket list.
Score: 5/5
SETLIST:
Break Stuff
Master of Puppets
(Metallica cover)
Hot Dog
Take a Look Around
Full Nelson
Nookie
My Generation
Livin’ It Up
My Way
Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)
Behind Blue Eyes
(The Who cover)
Counterfeit
Boiler
Break Stuff
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Great job on this too, Gonz. You have such a knack for this blog thing ;-)
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LB occupy a truly unique place in culture... almost a complete thing unto themselves. I enjoyed this write-up.
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loved seeing these guys live. crazy atmosphere.
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