Korn, Loathe @ Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 4/12/2024

There is definitely something very exciting about the week before building up to Good Things Festival akin to AFL Grand Final week. The Adelaide Entertainment Centre precinct was buzzing with nu metal fans making the most pre-drinks catch ups at the many nearby pubs before show time. Adelaide was in the privileged position of having Korn play its only headline show here on top of Good Things Festival in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with those tickets snapped up in a heartbeat making it the hottest ticket in town. Considering they have not played here in over a decade it was fantastic that fans sold this one out making the pointed reminder that we can sell out shows here and are worthy of big international acts playing in our city.

Opening proceedings was Liverpool metalcore outfit Loathe, who are also playing at Good Things Festival, who were not advertised as the support until late making them a great addition. Their mission statement of sorts “Loathe As One” was emblazoned on the screen behind them and they well and truly warmed the stage. Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot/ Act 3: Nessun Dormal was used to great effect creating that sense theatrical drama and summoning followers to a cult like ritual of sorts. Emerging through smoke they powered their way through Gored and Dance On My Skin. Their music is equally hard as it is more softer and melodic and the interplay between the clean and screaming vocals is definitely a point of difference.

Fair to say most people would not have heard of Loathe before but after this set I am sure that they would be taking a lot more notice now. Even front man Kadeem France stated that “we wouldn’t be a band if it wasn’t for Korn”. Plenty of great moments in their set including closing songs Is It Really You? and Heavy Is The Head That Falls With The Weight of a Thousand Thoughts”.

Korn need no introduction wasting no time at getting straight out of blocks with Here To Stay. With the crowd energy peaking at maximum they were full of voice singing the chorus back at him. Jonathan Davis commands the stage doing what he does best decked out in the trademark Adidas tracksuit. “Thirty motherfucking years of Korn” Davis proclaims. One song in and I’m thinking this is incredible already. This tour is very much a celebration of an incredible career spanning thirty years which is still going strong and with a younger fan base that weren’t born when their first album out that is a sign of a great band that sits comfortably in the elite category.

One noticeable difference is Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies on bass covering long term Reginald ‘Fieldy’ Arvizu who is taking a break from touring. The set list covered their entire career leaving no stone unturned. I’m sure there are probably a few songs fans would have hoped to hear but they played everything that you would expect to hear. Dead Bodies Everywhere, Got The Life and A.D.I.D.A.S whip the crowd in to a frenzy early. Hey Daddy was one of those songs that don’t get played live much with Good God and Start The Healing to follow.

Davis apologised that it has taken them this long since 2010 (supporting Guns ‘n Roses) to come back taking a moment to reflect of what it all means selling out “motherfucking Adelaide” as band from California thirty years ago that had a dream and doing it their way. Even Davis commented on the young fans down the front who weren’t even born when they started. Blind was incredible but it was Shoots and Ladders that was next level with Davis reappearing on stage with bagpipes and those infamous nursery rhyme lyrics makes it quite the song that ended with a snippet of Metallica’s One which got the crowd going.

There was no let up with Twist, Make Me Bad and set closer Y’All Want A Single with Davis remarking “Fuck I’m having so much fun” and “this is the shit”.

The screen provided some encouragement to the faithful to make some noise to get them asking…

Anyone still here

Is that all you got

Come On

Is that everything you got

Louder

We can’t hear you

With the band returning for an encore including Falling Away From Me, Oildale (Leave Me Alone) and fan fav Freak On A Leash. Next, we’re on to the next stop in Melbourne for round two. Killer show! As the band left the stage it was with the promise it would not be as long for a return visit next time.

Live Review By Rob Lyon