So the three of us (my sister, our generous friend, and I) survived the mayhem of last night's gig after finding ourselves in the middle of a mosh pit the moment the beat dropped at the start of Blind.
Prior to that, we were treated to some insanity in the form of support act #1, Sunflower Dead. Think the visual aesthetic of Slipknot, crossed with Steam-powered Giraffe, and the sound of Disturbed - oh, and throw in an accordion-toting frontman! They were a real treat for something so new to us, the singer living up to the band's tagline of 'It's time to get weird' by almost swallowing his microphone,; it was a shame to see them go after 'feeding' the crowd with free shirts and the remains of one of the guitarists' guitars (that upset my sister).
Support act #2 was Snot. They seemed to get a much bigger response from the crowd (including a couple of lads in front of us who showed their appreciation by unconcernedly moshing into us); they didn't strike as great a chord with me, only increasing my impatience for Korn to come on. However, as I mentioned, the waiting was answered by the sudden eruption of the crowd around us after that iconic intro. Once free from the waves of the mosh pit, we were able to enjoy a slightly distant, though unobstructed view from the sidelines as they screamed and shouted their way to Clown (during which they stood silent for a moment, only brought back to life by the continued cheers from the crowd) and on to Shoots and Ladders, at which time Jon brought out his bagpipes (beautiful).
I recall a short passage of Alive being played after either Predictable or Fake, which kind of threw me, but all too soon it was time for Daddy. The haunting intro vocals got us all pretty excited, while it was evident the emotional toll they took on Jonathan who was bent double screaming the lyrics by its close. That touched a nerve for me. But we were all revitalised, it seemed, by the final three classics: Falling Away from Me, Here to Stay, and Freak on a Leash (the latter being the song which secured a place in my heart for the boys from Bakersfield). The set-list by no means saved us from the discomfort of the sweaty bodies passing close by us, the sea of plastic cups underfoot, or the occasional scuffle which almost broke out nearby, but I suppose to just hear our idols playing the music we love was near enough all we could ask for. My neck aches from headbanging, my ears still ring a little from the volume, I have slight blisters on my feet, yet it still remains a memory to cherish. So thank you Korn for being awesome; in my heart, you're here to stay! And to Jonathan Davis, my mental juggernaut of bile-laced, visceral anguish, I admire your courage and strength.
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