Corey Taylor at Hammersmith Apollo

Heavy metal royalty is about to hit the stage at this sold-out gig in Hammersmith, as fans old and young excitedly take their seats and standing positions. Corey Taylor, the usually masked singer of Slipknot, is here to give us a solo show.

The set opens with The Box, and Taylor delivers the opening lyrics away from view as the band enters. The stadium cheers and a sea of phones appear as the singer walks out dressed in surprisingly normal attire. It’s clear from the outset that Taylor is a great showman and very comfortable on the stage, as he introduces each member of the band to enthusiastic applause.

The second song Post Traumatic Blues is a heavier, more Slipknot-sounding number, with an interesting punky chorus, then we are treated to the equally heavy 2002 Stone Sour song Tumult. Taylor takes a lot of time to talk to the crowd between tracks, with each address suitably littered with colourful language, and at one point announces “… and motherf*cker, I don’t care what the name says outside, we’re at the f*cking Hammersmith Apollo! And goddammit, here for a sold and f*cking show, you motherf*ckers are a gift!”

As the band get ready to play new song We Are the Rest, Taylor explains he needs some crowd participation for this one: they all shout the catchy chorus “No way to beat me / No way to win” back at Taylor, and it’s with these solo tracks that it’s clear the singer’s roots are as much in punk as they are heavy metal.

Before I Forget is the first Slipknot song of the night, and it’s met with a very appreciated response, as the crowd belt the lyrics out with gusto. After a bizarre rendition of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song, it’s back to Slipknot with the unusually slow but equally loved Snuff. Taylor’s vocal range is impressive as he moves between sombre ballads, upbeat punk and screaming metal songs.

After an awe-inspiring guitar solo in Taylor’s Midnight, the main set ends with the hit Stone Sour track Through the Glass, much to the crowd’s delight. Of course, it doesn’t all end there, as there isn’t much doubt that Taylor will return for an encore, and he doesn’t disappoint. Duality is blasted to an elated theatre of Slipknot fans who don’t falter on keeping up with the lyrics, yet Taylor’s last song of the night isn’t one of his own, but a cover. A fantastic rendition of Black Sabbath’s Fairies Wear Boots closes the gig, and Taylor’s Ozzy Osbourne-inspired vocals are remarkably similar to the real thing. A great way to end a night of heavy metal meets rock ‘n’ roll perfection.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Corey Taylor’s website here.

Watch the video for the single We Are the Rest here: