Since the gig was announced back in January, there seems to have been excitement and anticipation rising exponentially for alt-metal pioneers Korn to arrive and perform in Scarborough.
First support act Loathe had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands from the off, with the sold-out Scarborough Open Air Theatre already filling up with the masses here to enjoy the early opener. Blending a range of metal genres and sub-genres, they defy categorisation and present a refreshing take on the heavy end of music.
Beginning with a brief rendition of Nessun Dorma, they blasted and pulsated their way through their set, starting off with Gored, and including New Faces In the Dark and Is It Really You. This four-piece from Liverpool make a great start to proceedings; their energy is infectious and the atmosphere in the venue, rapidly reaching capacity, is positively fizzing.
Next up, with a magnetic insouciance and swagger, is Wargasm. Fronting duo Sam Matlock and Milkie Way are backed by a trio of fabulously energetic, occasionally even gymnastic, musicians; they themselves switch between being both on vocals, or alternating bass or guitar playing; it keeps the playful and confident energy raised high. The set included new track, 70% Dead, as well as Modern Love and Bang Ya Head, which featured Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst on the single release.
They dominate the stage, and Matlock whips up the crowd with enticements to get the mosh pit moving faster, before later entering the throng himself for a brief crowd surf. Milkie Way (aka Rachel Hastings) masters the vocal moments, whether melodic or raucous. Their style blends electro-punk and nu-metal, with a vitality and intensity that is as irresistible as it is anarchic.
To say Korn exploded into their set feels like an understatement, with a rip-roaring eruption of music and lights. Rotting In Vain was first out of the gate, amidst stunning production elements, closely followed by Here to Stay and classic early hit, A.D.I.D.A.S.; in a touch of irony, the rain at the outdoor venue suddenly pelted as the lyrics of Good God (Won’t you get the f*ck out of my face now) transitioned, via drum solo, into Blind. As several thousand coats and emergency ponchos appeared, the set continued in epic mode, with Falling Away From Me rendered with a singing, swaying crowd in unison.
The pace is relentless and it is a full hour before frontman Jonathan Davis takes a pause to talk to the audience; as the main set comes to a close, he highlights the fact that the band has reached their 30th year. Yet it is evident that this tour is emphatically not just a nostalgia trip; the audience is as much made up of teenagers as it is the forty-plus demographic, and Korn’s power and performance is as prime as anyone could hope for. Their tour has already blazed across Europe, reaching the UK for just three dates, starting with tonight’s Scarborough stint, before they set off across North America.
Amidst the intensity of Korn’s set, there were moments of playfulness, such as breaking into Queen’s We Will Rock You, and, come the long-awaited encore, the famous bagpipes arrived on stage for Shoots and Ladders, whose eerie nursery-rhyme lyrics led into a section of Metallica’s One. The encore is plentiful, with Twist, Divine and Freak on a Leash finishing up this hotly-anticipated night of metal magnificence.
Yorkshire fans can catch Korn again tonight (9th August) at The Piece Hall, Halifax, and then on Sunday they head to London’s Gunnersbury Park. There are only two shows left for the Scarborough Open Air Theatre season, Becky Hill 29th August and Busted 31st August.
