Saturday, 06 September 2003
Who'd have guessed it? Fred Durst sticking to the truth. Vowing to play a gig for free in the UK after pulling out of Download at the 11th hour, the redneck from Jacksonville kept his word albeit with one snag - permitting MTV to broadcast the entire show live.Looking like he's shed a few pounds, a less chubbier Durst pops up at the front, dressed in a black bomber jacket, khaki coloured combat shorts and a black baseball cap. Steaming straight ahead with new single 'Eat You Alive', the tone is bitter and aggressive, with Durst devouring his microphone for the growling chorus.
So while the self-indulgent frontman ensures he is the centre of attention, the rest appear to follow some kind of choreographed routine. Bassist Sam Rivers creeps up in the darkness with only his illuminated guitar indicating his presence; DJ Lethal jumps up from behind his throne-like mixing deck while drummer little John Otto barely makes it to the level of the high-hat cymbal of his drum kit.
This UK visit is not only the debut for the band's new material since Chocolate Starfish & The Hot Dog Flavored Water, it's also the first appearance for new guitarist Mike Smith (formerly of Snot). Judging by Smith's top-notch appearance (smart black shirt, black trousers and floppy brown hair), he's more suited to The Hives than with the combat trousers, shorts, vests and baseball caps adorned by his band-mates.
"Get the fuck up!", Durst commands as Smith belts out the opening riffs to 'Hot Dog'. A glimpse of Durst centre stage is in a blink of an eye, with the crowd manically leaping up and down to the expletives uttered in this crass song. As Durst reminds us in the apt lyric: "If I say fuck two more times, that's 46 fucks in this fucked up rhyme". That's just the start of it.
The new material from Results May Vary is quizzically slower and darker, with Durst attempting to - good grief - sing. At one point, he's left along with a guitar, to wail a soppy ballad. It's not certain if he deliberately screws up the chords or if genuinely sucks as a guitarist.
But it's hearing the old, noisy stuff that sets the passion of the audience ablaze. 'Break Stuff' ("this is for that fucking bitch Britney Spears!") and 'Nookie' instantly thrust a one-fingered salute at cynics. Oh yeah, they can still thrash out the best ones to kingdom come, notably the choking 'My Generation'.
Closing with a cover of George Michael's 'Faith' opens up the floodgates for girls to strip off and swing their bras in the air, while a few sleaze-infested males wander closer with their disposable cameras - Durst barely squints for a second look around.
Gagging for one more song, the crowd is stunned when they slouch off without a last 'thank you' or a 'goodbye'. Limp Bizkit have never mastered how to finish on a high and for what tonight was worth, it wouldn't have left a dent in their wallets to squeeze in 'Rollin' after MTV had gone off air. (3/5)
Check for Live Dates |