SLIPKNOT AT FREEDOM MORTGAGE PAVILION IN CAMDEN
“Every song you will hear tonight was written before or during 1999.”
People constantly talk about wanting to hop in a time machine and bring themselves back to a time they hold near and dear to their hearts. Music can be so powerful in the sense that it sometimes acts as that time machine for us. The flood of memories can be instantly activated the second we hear our favorite tracks. Slipknot are creating this time machine for their fans with their “Here Comes the Pain” 25th Anniversary Tour. With support from Orbit Culture and Knocked Loose on this leg of the tour, Camden, New Jersey was in for a fantastic night.
Opening up the show were Swedish metal band, Orbit Culture. Right off the bat the headbanging started and fans were treated to a solid set. Orbit Culture did a great job of cultivating an atmosphere full of energy to help get the night going.
Hitting the stage next was the Kentucky based hardcore band Knocked Loose. This was my 9th time seeing the band, and they never fail to get me hyped up. Knocked Loose knows how to command a stage like no other. From start to finish, their set will have pits going non stop, even in the amphitheater setting. Not only was the front GA section pitting, but the lawn had one formed as well. It’s truly an experience getting to see them on a stage of this size. The venue showed a ton of support for the band, and I couldn’t think of a better opener for this tour.
When it was time for Slipknot to take the stage, fans were chanting in anticipation. Looking out into a Slipknot crowd you can see fans of all ages hyped up. The maggots came fully dressed head to toe in masks and jumpsuits to match the band. As they took the stage to start, IT was flooded with green light. Simply set up with a large backdrop displaying the band’s name and some tiered risers on the stage, the production was scaled back a bit, but don’t be fooled by this set up, the performance was, of course, larger than life.
**SETLIST SPOILER ALERTS INCOMING!**
The band started off with a crazy three song run of “(sic)”, “Eyeless”, and “Wait and Bleed”, the same order as the 1999 self-titled album. Right from the get go, fans were already crowd surfing over the barricade, and yelling along to every single word. This set would not be a typical Slipknot setlist, but rather a trip back in time. All the songs played during this set would be from the time of the self-titled album. The jumpsuits and masks closely resembled the OG designs as well - a real treat for fans. After the third song, Corey Taylor took a minute to talk to the crowd who was roaring with cheers.
“25 years ago we were given the gift of one of the craziest fucking shows we have ever fucking had a pleasure playing - Ozzfest, in the same fucking place and here we fucking are. To come out here and see all of you here, you have no idea, so one more time, thank you so fucking much for being here with us. And let me proudly say welcome to 1999 mother fuckers!”
After a short chat with the crowd, the band went back to rocking and played “Get This”. The whole time, the crowd never stopped moving. This set was short, but packed a heavy punch. Fans got to hear some songs that haven’t been played since 2000 prior to this tour. Every single minute Slipknot is on the stage, they are giving it their all. Not only do they sound incredible, but they move so effortlessly. There’s so many things happening at once on stage you don’t know where to look first, but wherever you do, you end up completely mesmerized. Whether it’s watching Michael (Tortilla) interact with the other members, especially with Shawn (Clown), or watching Mick, V-Man, and Jim shred, you just can’t look away. Eloy Casagrande is also doing a phenomenal job on drums, having just recently replaced Jay Weinberg back in April this year.
When it was time for the encore, fans were treated to “Spit It Out”, “Surfacing”, and “Scissors”. You could tell the crowd was not ready to go home yet. Could you blame them after such an energetic performance? The adrenaline was definitely still pumping. This is definitely a tour you do not want to miss, especially if you’re a fan of Slipknot.
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!