Knotfest Roadshow• Slipknot w/ Ice Nine Kills• October 4, 2022• USANA Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson
Iconic Metal band Slipknot brought their Knotfest Roadshow to the USANA Amphitheatre on October 4th. With Ice Nine Kills as the opener, the two bands pulled off an unforgettable night with some seriously impressive visual displays. The energy they brought with them to Salt Lake was unbeatable. Leaving many fans claiming the Knotfest was Utah’s best night of metal so far this year. While I had never been to a Slipknot show before this one, I was aware of their reputation for putting on an incredible live performance. Even after arriving with high expectations, I still left the night amazed by their show.
Ice Nine Kills
Led by vocalist Spencer Charnas, Ice Nine Kills have seen an increase in popularity since the release of their Silver Scream albums. The first Silver Scream album and its sequel, Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood, feature songs inspired by popular horror movies. Many fans are already speculating and hoping they will add a third album to the series.
The lights dimmed and heavy fog filled the stage as they appeared in front of the eager crowd. At first glance, the clean-cut band members all sharply dressed in suits and ties, looked out of place at a metal concert. I learned quickly that the band puts on a very unique show. Blending the music I had expected, with a theatrical performance that surprised me. Throughout their set, lead singer Spencer Charnas joined by costumed assistants, acted out horror scenes for each song.
With a variety of props and costumes, and a consistently changing background display, Ice Nine Kills, kept the crowd thoroughly entertained. They played a set of 9 songs including “Hip to be Scared”(based on American Psycho), “Stabbing in the Dark” (based on Halloween), and “IT is the End” (based on IT). While their music is metal, I noticed they also had strong pop and punk influences. Charnas had incredible energy as he jumped around the stage singing and acting. When he wasn’t in character, he would take the opportunity to connect with the crowd.
He did a great job getting them hyped about Slipknot and expressed how thrilled the band was for the opportunity to be on tour with them. Charnas would then pick up an axe, and get back to the show. They finished off their set with “Shower Scene” (based on Psycho) and “The American Nightmare” (based on A Nightmare on Elm Street.) They put on a one-of-a-kind show. I was impressed with every aspect of it. Up next was Slipknot, and I was looking forward to seeing what they had in store for the crowd.
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Between sets a large curtain covered the stage, hiding the stage crew and keeping the audience in suspense. Behind the scenes, the crews worked quickly to clear out the display from Ice Nine Kills, while putting together an even more elaborate set design. I could feel the excitement rising as the crowd waited for Slipknot’s entrance. Many in attendance wore shirts from previous Knotfest tours, and some fans took it to the next level, showing up wearing Slipknot-style masks. A deafening cheer erupted as the curtain dropped, revealing the band with lead singer Corey Taylor front and center.
Slipknot
The masked men of Slipknot wasted no time getting the show started. They went right into their first song “Disasterpiece” as fans in the pit immediately began to mosh. Slipknot is known for its top-notch visual displays, and Tuesday night’s performance was no exception. With an impressive light show, over-the-top stage set up, and fireballs shooting across the stage, the band knows how to keep a crowd entertained. After 23 years of performing, they have perfected their act and still show no signs of slowing down.
With 7 studio albums, Slipknot had plenty of material to choose from for their 15-song set. They played their old favorites like “Before I Forget,” “Psychosocial,” and “Wait and Bleed.” They were also eager to play something from their newest album, released just days before the concert. The new highly anticipated album is titled “The End, So Far,” leading some fans to question whether slipknot was making a statement that this would be the end of their time together as a band. Frontman Corey Taylor addressed the speculation, saying that they have enjoyed their 23 years together so far, and as long as their fans continue to show up they would keep coming back for another 23 years. From this new album, they played “The Dying Song”.
While they may not have been acting out horror scenes, Slipknot proved to be just as theatrical as their opening band, Ice Nine Kills. With each member in their unique creepy-looking masks, they jumped around the stage entertaining the audience. The crowd matched their energy with moshing and head-banging, while the security at USANA did an excellent job keeping everything under control and helping anyone who found their way over the barricade near the front of the stage.
Between songs, Corey Taylor made an effort to connect with their fans. He wanted everyone in attendance to know that they were all family. Taylor also spoke about inclusion, and how there was no room for anything but acceptance for all people regardless of any differences including race, gender, and sexual orientation. He also expressed his appreciation for the crowd that showed up and commented on how it was an even larger crowd than they received last time.
After asking the audience if they wanted a few more songs, they played “Duality,” “Custer,” and “Spit it Out,” before walking off stage. After more deafening cheers from the crowd, Slipknot returned to play an encore. They performed “People = Shit,” and “Surfacing,” while more fireballs shot off in the background behind them. They wrapped up the night with an incredible finale and left their fans amazed by their spectacular performance. It was a show unlike any other I had seen before, and it’s one I will not ever forget.
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Setlist
- Disasterpiece
- Wait and Bleed
- All Out Life
- Sulfur
- Before I Forget
- The Dying Song (Time to Sing)
- Dead Memories
- Unsainted
- The Heretic Anthem
- Psychosocial
- Duality
- Custer
- Spit It Out
Encore
14. People = Shit
15. Surfacing