Worth the Wait?
Critics have been wondering whether Limp Bizkit have had their hey day. Just two days earlier they performed to a 3,000-strong crowd at the Manchester Apollo. This was an event that had ticket prices slashed earlier in the week as it had not sold out. In 2000 they could have easily filled a complete UK Arena tour from Glasgow SEC to London Arena, yet out of the free tickets today the venue does not seem quite as packed as it could be. Aside from these 3,000 people there is also the fact that most English fans have not heard how the new guitarist will sound since the departure of Wes Borland from the band.
Putting the arrogance of Fred aside, forgetting the masses of fans that have turned up wearing their red baseball caps on back to front and ignoring the arguments that nu-metal is past its prime - everyone waits for Limp Bizkit to take the stage.
The hour is nine O'clock at night and the CD stops playing whilst the lights dim. There is an eerie silence that comes accross the crowd as Sam Rivers steps out on to the dark stage with the red LED fret markers on his bass aluminating the stage. The crowd errupts as 'Eat You Alive' starts to play.
Each song that Limp Bizkit play is full of energy and a style that is Limp Bizkit's own. The set progresses through classics such as 'My Way' when 10 fans get on to the stage and finish on Faith by George Michael. Limp Bizkit are a talented group of musicians, and always have been so - it is just how this talent is used and whether Fred finally annoys everyone one too many times.
The talk from Fred is, as expected, true Limp Bizkit style and if I were an objective fan I would feel insulted by some of it - as with all bands of this type the speech is rehearsed and not fully heart felt. None the less, after some of the performances we have witnessed today Limp Bizkit are impressive and leave their fans feeling slightly better about the future of their favourite band.
The truth will come over the next twelve months, what does the future hold for both nu-metal and Limp Bizkit?