After my previous post I am happy to say that I'm back to the metal with my never venture being a trip to Leeds to see SLIPKNOT.

I've only ever listened to these guys a few times, but their set made me want to listen to them more! For a band that has been around since 1981 (that's 12 years before I was even born!) they had more energy than I have on a day to day basis! They powered their way through an 8-song setlist which opened with 'You Can't Bring Me Down' and closed with 'Pledge Your Allegiance'. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed hearing 'Cyco Vision' and 'Possessed to Skate' live with the sold-out crowd bouncing around me.

Next up were SLIPKNOT. I was more excited for this show because Alex hadn't yet seen them live and I knew she was going to love it. I first experienced them last year in Sheffield and thought the whole stage show was phenomenal and I left this show feeling exactly the same.

Opening up the show with 'Ashes to Ashes' by the late David Bowie, the crowd cheered and surged forward. I knew too well not to be in the middle of a pit at Slipknot so we positioned ourselves to the left of the stage but still had a perfect view. The first track played was 'The Negative One' which then lead on to a range of tracks across their discography...specifically from the IOWA album. As they stated several times throughout the show, this year is IOWA's 15th birthday so they celebrated by playing a few different tracks of that album including 'Disasterpiece', 'Metabolic' and more, as well as their bigger tracks such as 'Wait and Bleed' and 'Duality' before completing the encore with 'Spit It Out'.


Now that we've established that the setlist was insanely good, lets talk about the stage presence. From flames to moving platforms the whole show was incredible. I wouldn't class Slipknot as one of my usual types of gigs, it's completely different, it's a performance with lots of features and great live music. Being on the edges of the pits were fun but they looked fully brutal! One particular feature was the crowd jump during the final track, 'Spit It Out'. With the whole of the standing area of Leeds First Direct Arena crouched down, not only was the view incredible, but also the atmosphere. Especially with a very good looking guy crouched by my side keeping hold of me for balance, so there was eye candy added to the night too! Grabbing onto Alex, the break came and we jumped up into a massive pit with the rest of the crowd around us. Just incredible.

Overall, I cannot fault any part of the night and Slipknot always know how to put on a show wherever they play. If you get the opportunity to see them tour do not hesitate! They are a band that you really don't want to miss at all!