REVIEW - SYDONIA, SHIHAD and KORN, Festival Hall

Above - Jonathan Davis

After touring Australia so many times that they can’t remember and with enough dreadlocks to wrap the world three times and tie a bow in them marking home, nu metal rockers Korn took to the stage of Festival Hall last Sunday night, but not before a few pre show rituals. “I have to put my left contact in before my right. I know its weird, but if I pick up the contact lenses and its not the left one… I'll swap them,” said front man, Jonathan Davis in a recent interview with Jaded Reverb. “I go hang out with everybody. It’s funny, we’re a band, but we all have little clicks... We don’t do anything weird like all get in a huddle or any shit like that.”

Although feeling like a freak on a leash, Davis did well for a sober mortal who doesn’t really like people. He has given up the effort of conforming to rock god status expectations which is very much in line with their latest record Korn 3 – Remember where you came from. Dressed in his uniform of Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a singlet top, Davis, in his own words, “just performed his music live” to an adoring Melbourne crowd. With jerky hands, admirable moshing and the sexual abuse of the erotic microphone stand, who’s reputation precedes her and is arguably even more famous than the band themselves, if that were possible (The stand is the sculpture of a semi-muscular, erotic, arching woman designed by H.R. Giger) Johnathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier put on a show that didn’t disappoint the masses, playing songs equally off all records.

The intermission between Shihad, the second support act, and Korn saw an epic punch on, up in the stands behind the cage, while a sea of white faces were turned in vague to moderate excitement at the scene from general admission.

Above - Shihad.

Between songs fans caught sight of Davis stage side on a pump breathing what was assumedly oxygen in between songs. It is well known to fans that the front man has had respiratory problems since a child and can often play up during a show. The set was admirably long and often consisted of satisfying solos that could have run for five minutes at a time.

At what appeared to be the secession of the night, fans thumped their feet on the tortured wooden floorboards of the hall and screamed their lungs out in demand of their idols to return, all the while the masses compacted and surged forward. The people wanted an encore and an encore they would get. After what was probably only a few minutes of heart pounding adrenalin, (though it felt much longer) out walked a lone bagpipe player, unexpected but very welcome. Davis, walked to the central and side stage through the fog and lights, shortly followed by the rest of the band and a fantastic version of Sheets and Ladders.

After the show, Munky, Fieldy and Ray traipsed the stage, throwing out guitar picks and drum sticks to folks that fought for them snarling with teeth bared. They also waved and smiled to obsessed fans who in turn tried to show off their KORN tattoos boldly seared across their backs.

The Festival Hall gig was the third in three headline shows by Korn in Sydney, Brisbane then Melbourne. They have also supported Guns and Roses recently on their Austalian tour, however none would take the band or Davis to the Red Centre. “I want to go check out the middle of Australia, that big rock, where the aborigines hang out, I want to head out to the bush.” Davis declared recently to Jaded Reverb, also admitting that he would like to do some backpacking around this sunburnt land of ours. Maybe next time Davis.

The supports for the evening were Melbourne’s very own Sydonia and Kiwi band, Shihad.

Above - Sydonia

"Prepare to have your socks rocked off,” shouted Sydonia’s guitarist Sam Haycroft. Despite many socks not completely coming off during Sydonia’s set, foreplay is a necessary component of any satisfying experience, which began with Sydonia drawing a decent crowd, a loyal crowed for that matter from early on in the piece

Shihad who earlier this year supported AC/DC on their Black Ice world tour definitely did not show their age and followed on from Sydonia’s lead. After performing for 22 years, roving Jon Toogood was as nimble and energetic as a 6 year old with ADHD as he ran across the stage, grasped the reaching hands of fans in the crowd and then climbed the amps and speakers like a spider in his black skinnies and back Tee, singing from the zenith.

Shihad exhibited an incredibly interactive performance. “I just want to say from all the boys of Shihad, what a fucken pleasure it is to be opening for Korn,” said Toogood. “You’ve been fucken awesome! Trust me, your going to have a great night, ” he continued, as if the crowd needed any reassurance, they’d made up their minds from the moment they heard Sydonia. But Toogood was right, the triad contributed to what would be, the gig of the year for many who attended.