Saturday 15 June, 7pm, £25-£30,
O2 Academy, Glasgow. Tel: 0844 477 2000. www.o2academyglasgow.co.uk
VIDEO: Limp Bizkit - Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) music video
I was one of those 14-year-olds who thought he knew everything. My hair had blond highlights, my favourite meal was a fried egg, cheese and mayo toastie, and my mobile phone rang to the tune of Limp Bizkit’s Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) – a track that I felt was the most intelligent, controversial, and deeply moving, since Last Resort by Papa Roach came out the previous month.
Limp Bizkit was a moniker I used to think described the condition of a Rich Tea post-dunk – symbolic of how The Establishment eventually grinds everyone down, duh – but apparently signified absolutely nothing. It was nevertheless emblazoned across the Fruit of the Loom t-shirts and hoodies proudly sported by my friends and I, who’d each paid out a month’s worth of paper-round wages for the privilege.
It wasn’t a total waste of money, as I still wear the very same, now-moth-bitten t-shirts and hoodies whenever I’m painting or moving house. But hey, this isn’t about me – this is about the return of a band whose phenomenal success changed the landscape of mainstream rock music in the early noughties.
Say what you like about often-ridiculed frontman Fred Durst, who not only patented the oversized blue jeans, white t-shirt and red baseball cap look, but also made rap-rock a thing. And how could anyone forget guitarist Wes Borland, known equally for his musical experimentation as for his brilliantly bizarre visual appearances, which included face and body paint, masks and uniforms.
Together with bass player Sam Rivers, drummer John Otto and DJ Lethal on turntables, the Grammy Award-nominated nu-metal giants have sold in excess of 35 million albums since they formed in Jacksonville, Florida, back in 1994.
Now in the middle of another epic world tour, they take the stage at O2 Academy Glasgow this Saturday in the first of only two UK shows – the other occurring the following day at Download Festival.
The performance will see the group draw on material from their impressive back catalogue – from debut offering Three Dollar Bill, Yall, through the great commercial triumphs of Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, to their reunion release Gold Cobra, and beyond.
Those in attendance might even be graced with a few numbers from upcoming seventh album Stampede of the Disco Elephants, which is out later this year, as well as all the added entertainment from the band’s famously energetic concerts.
So, ladies, fellas, and the people that don’t give a damn, all the lovers, all the haters, and the people that call themselves players, hot mommas, pimp daddies, and the people rolling up in Caddies, rockers, hip hoppers, and everybody all around the world… I expect to see you all in the mosh pit this Saturday.
And to quote a certain American wordsmith – keep on rollin’ baby, you know what time it is.
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