Slipknot Adelaide entertainment Centre, SA 4/3/2025
Walking up to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, I had never seen a crowd go so far down the street that workers had to come out and organise it. From people with grey hair to children with no hair, it felt like most of Adelaide had come out to see Slipknot's one and only headline show hot off the heels of their 2025 "Knotfest" tour. People were excited and filled General Admission before Vended, the opener, even came on.
Vended opened up, and their energy made everyone move. There were multiple mosh pits immediately as soon as "Nihilism" was playing, and within minutes the "no moshing or crowd surfing rule" at the Entertainment Centre was broken. The band and crowd were having fun with singer Gryphon Taylor throwing in a cheeky little "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi." Playing hits such as "The Far Side," "Am I the Only One," and "Asylum," they were an amazing opener for Slipknot, and with the band's vocalist Gryphon Taylor being the son of Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor, I can only imagine how proud he would have been. With an amazing sound similar but distinct to SlipKnot, I will definitely be listening to them again.
Slipknot took to the stage in crisp white jumpsuits and new masks, opening up with "(sic)." The crowd was immediately screaming louder than the vocal mix.
Going through their classics and deep cuts, including "People = Shit," "Wait and Bleed," "Gematria," and "The Devil In I." They had so much energy; an entire section from the barricade into GA was all moshing. After selling out completely, General Admission was shoulder to shoulder, and at multiple points, the sound engineers had to do quick, stealthy fixes to constantly turn the microphone volume up. With the band taking a 5-minute break, Sid, the band's DJ, performed a live remix of "Tattered and Torn." They gave Adelaide a show, and Adelaide ate it all up. Stopping for a quick second, Corey Taylor thanked the crowd for 25 amazing years and let them know that they were without their usual drummer "Clown." They launched into "Psychosocial" and "Duality" before the encore. Within seconds the arena was screaming for "one more song," and Slipknot delivered three more for everyone, with "Spit It Out," "Surfacing," and "Scissors."
With drums shaking the building and everyone leaving yelling with a massive smile Slipknot and Vended made the sold-out Entertainment Centre feel like a full festival show, and I cannot wait until Slipknot comes again.
Jarrad Nicoll