Limp Bizkit.
It seemed at first that the Forum Karlín on April 3, 2023 would be too small for a band as important as Limp Bizkit certainly is. However, during the performance of the second support act Wargasm, I was a bit worried whether the announced capacity of 3000 people would be filled at all. However, the uncertainty was not misplaced. The venue filled up, and the energy gushed from fans of Florida rap/nu-metal outfit Limp Bizkit like the geysers of Steamboat (the largest in the world, on display in Yellowstone Park).
Sam Matlock and Milkie Way, who formed a tandem presenting electronic rap metal in the UK five years ago, are supporting Limp Bizkit (Still Sucks) on this year's tour. In the somewhat incomprehensible sound that rolled from the stage, the slender, fair-haired, scantily clad singer Milkie caught the attention of the crowd, and after some initial intonational uncertainty, she solidly mastered her vocals, bass playing and movement around the stage. The somewhat clumsy gymnastics of half-dressed guitarist Sam Matlock, with his red, lightning-shaped Jackson guitar, were enlivened during the closing track Spit (2020, single) by the guest keyboardist's acrobatic stardom and frantic side-to-side running.
Shortly before 8:30pm, the stage already belongs to the five-piece of Fred Durst (vocals), John Otto (drums), Wes Borland (guitar), DJ Lethal (samples, keyboards) and Sam Rivers (bass). Limp Bizkit, who will turn 30 next year, have released just six albums in their existence. Still, they manage to put together a playlist of twenty-five songs in a way that doesn't lose its punch. True, a few of them are covers (Goerge Michael, Nirvana, INXS, Ministry, Who), but the original concept justifies them. The intro is provided by DJ Lethal sitting at his instruments above the centre of the stage on a sort of second floor. After the opening Show Me What You Got (Significant Other, 1999) comes Out of Style (Still Sucks, 2021), popularised by a clip in which the band members take on the guises of world leaders (Putin, Biden, Zelensky, Kim Jong Un). What is essential is the song's captivating tempo and Fred Durst's arching, hall-emphasised vocals. Three more items from the band's latest album to date are played in quick succession. After the punk-tinged Barnacle, the crowd will be treated to Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle), followed by four more songs from Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water (2000). The vocal cords get a workout during the hall-wide choruses of My Generation and My Way from the same LP. There's a great Eat You Alive (Results May Vary, 2003) and Gold Cobra from the album of the same name (2011). The audience is on fire and many are in an absolute trance. The observant ones notice the bizarre outfit of barefoot bassist Rivers, Wes Borland's black face mask and the massive battery of drums crammed into the right side of the stage, positioned unconventionally sideways to the audience. The white-bearded Fred Durst wears the obligatory XXXL white sports shirt with the number three and the name tag BIZKIT. The basic set ends with the excellent Take a Look Around (Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water, 2000), with simple but impressive Borland guitar and Durst's flawless phrasing. A thunderous ovation brings the band back after a hiatus, and they, surprisingly to Czech audiences, skip Behind Blue Eyes (Results May Vary, 2003) altogether, presumably due to its inconsistent reception by professional critics and its long-standing low popularity worldwide. Instead, it features the rap Dad Vibes (2021) and the emphatic Break Stuff (1999).
Limp Bizkit's riveting performance had good sound, spare, empathetic and no-nonsense moderation, excellent instrumental performances and, above all, an electrifying, omnipresent energy oozing from both the musicians and the enthusiastic audience.