Limp Bizkit
The Piece Corridor, Halifax
August twelfth 2023

Florida nu-metallers take to Halifax’s iconic Piece Corridor for a combined bag of nostalgia and catharsis in equal measure. Louder Than Conflict’s Dave Beech was there.

West Yorkshire won’t be the primary place that springs to thoughts whenever you consider the chaotic nihilism and masculine posturing of Nu-Steel. Even much less so the beautiful Georgian surrounds of Halifax’s iconic Piece Corridor. But it’s right here on a heat Saturday night that we discover ourselves together with 5,000 others, awaiting the arrival of Florida rap-metal icons Limp Bizkit.

It won’t be the most common of venues, however that hasn’t stopped a crowd from turning up en masse. And whereas it goes with out saying that the choice contingent are effectively represented, it’s certainly not the ocean of metalheads one may anticipate from such an occasion, with loads of locals turning up dressed extra for a hike within the neighbouring hills than for nu-metal live performance. Earlier than Fred Durst and co take to the stage, nonetheless, there’s the small matter of Ohio pop-punker KennyHoopla to cope with.

Protégé of pop-punk royalty Travis Barker, Hoopla’s personal model of the style is a far cry from the So-Cal slacker strategy of a lot of his influences. As a substitute, there’s a darkish, brooding environment deftly balanced towards the anticipated youthful exuberance. For anybody who’s beneath the idea that pop-punk is a two-dimensional style, they solely have to look right here to be confirmed incorrect.

Tracks comparable to Smoke Break and Hollywood Sucks see Hoopla operating from one aspect of the stage to the opposite; his urgency matched by the Barker-esque drums that spine each observe. Certainly, for an artist as comparatively unknown as Hoopla, the response from the gang is spectacular. Although these on the again and on the fringes watch on politely, these entrance and centre feed off Hoopla’s seemingly infinite vitality.

Hinging his set on an idiosyncratic dichotomy of summery upbeat pop-punk and inherent millennial angst and apathy, it’s clear that Hoopla is ushering in an entire new technology of pop-punk, taking its cues from the style’s heavyweights, whereas making its personal mark. Ending with arguably his two finest identified tracks, How Will I Relaxation In Peace if I’m Buried By A Freeway, and Estella, he succeeds admirably in warming up the gang forward of tonight’s headliners.

Headliners who, impressively, we solely have to attend 20 minutes for. Sufficient time for a fast journey to the bar earlier than the Floridian rockers explode onto the stage with Present Me What You Acquired from Important Different earlier than heading instantly into 9 Teen 90 9 from the identical report. It’s this, and breakthrough album Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water that unsurprisingly take up the lion’s share of tonight’s materials.

As such, it’s one thing of a shock when basic single My Era is trotted out early doorways earlier than being adopted by a medley of kinds that includes a weird mixture of tracks from The White Stripes, Metallica and Blur. What’s much more of a shock is the early inclusions of Hotdog and Rollin’, each tracks one would assume would shut out proceedings.

In doing so, Fred Durst and co show to any naysayers that they’re not simply one-hit wonders. From right here on out the set is populated by a mixture of newer materials (Tablet Popper, Dad Vibes), Nirvana covers, one other medley that this time takes in Weapons n Roses and Iron Maiden and people Limp Bizkit classics you won’t have heard within the final twenty years.

The result’s a set which soars and scurries, the band by no means actually establishing a set tempo and as an alternative stymying it each time one threatens to determine itself. As such, these moments which hit house achieve this massively, My Manner as an example garners an enormous singalong while an anthemic outing for Nookie threatens to ship the entire crowd right into a frenzy of nostalgic and good-natured aggression. Yet one more interlude as soon as once more slows issues down, with frontman Durst introducing his bandmates.

From this level it’s clear issues are winding down, although Boiler is simply as heavy as one may anticipate, and an outing for Full Nelson makes one fan’s evening as she’s introduced up on stage to play alongside the four-piece. Their cowl of The Who’s Behind Blue Eyes supplies a surprisingly tender and emotional penultimate providing, however its last quantity Break Stuff that unsurprisingly finds 5000 bouncing in cathartic unison, screaming again every phrase.

Whereas it’s onerous to think about what precisely the unique architects of The Piece Corridor may need fabricated from tonight’s occasion, it’s clear from the faces of these round us {that a} wholesome dose of nu-metal nostalgia was precisely what they wanted. And although the standard of the set may effectively have dipped at occasions, it’s clear that there’s nonetheless a spot for Limp Bizkit within the hearts of metalheads all over the place. And although they won’t harbour the identical cultural relevance they as soon as did, it’s apparent that nostalgia can nonetheless pay the payments!

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Extra from Limp Bizkit may be discovered on their web site, Fb and Twitter.

Dave Beech is a music author primarily based out of Manchester. Hyperlinks to his work may be discovered over at his weblog, Life’s A Beech, in addition to his Louder Than Conflict Writer Archive. He additionally tweets as @Dave__Beech.

Pictures supplied by Jon at Rhodes media