Slipknot at Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA – October 8, 2021

The Knotfest Roadshow 2020 edition was one of the first big tours scheduled for Summer of 2020. As the pandemic began to last longer than we expected, it obviously did not happen. We’re in a much different place in 2021, and as of this week, LiveNation venues, such as Xfinity Center, require proof of vaccination or a negative covid test, in order to enter the show. But here we are, at the end of the Summer concert season, finishing off with the band that would have started last Summer’s season – Slipknot.

Still touring in support of 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind, the stage setup was very similar to the last time we saw them, in 2019. While the stage looked the same, the band had updated their look. Gone were the white jumpsuits of the previous tour, and the band was now all wearing black and/or red, very classic Slipknot colors. Frontman Corey Taylor, meanwhile, has a brand new mask. I think this is the first time in their history that he’s debuted a new mask at a time other than the start of a new album cycle. His last mask was very criticized, but personally, I think his new mask is incredible. It’s very disturbing in all the ways you want it to be, and I think it was a great choice!

The band hit the stage to “Unsainted,” the lead single off of We Are Not Your Kind, and was firing on all cylinders as they then went into “Disasterpiece,” off of 2001’s Iowa. They never went too obscure with their song choices, I think you could safely call it a greatest hits setlist, but from start to finish, there was never a dull moment. Songs like “The Heretic Anthem,” “The Devil in I,” and “Vermilion” were all huge crowd pleasers.

When then band got to the middle of “Spit it Out,” veteran Slipknot fans knew what to do. Corey instructed the crowd to get down on the ground, while the band got real quiet. As they work their way back into the crowd, Corey yells “Jump the fuck up!,” and what does the crowd do? They jump the fuck up!

The highlight of the night, for me, was probably when they returned for their encore, played “People = Shit.” The energy of this song is unmatched by anything else!

The members of Slipknot all put on a great show. From what you can tell behind masks and jumpsuits, it looked to me as though they are all really healthy and fit, which was great to see. With the energy the band had, I imagine we’ll be seeing more from them in the near future, and personally, I can’t wait!

Photos by Anthony Scanga