photos: Ben Gunzburg @benshootspeople
words: CeeCee @CeeCee

What a day of sun, sweaty mosh pits, and amazing friends! I kicked things off with a tour of the Slipknot museum, packed with memorabilia from over 25 years of this legendary band. From their iconic masks and jumpsuits to the very instruments that shaped their sound, every piece told a story of their incredible journey.

The day kicked off with the hardcore powerhouse Sunami from the States, and they wasted no time in igniting the crowd. Despite the early set, the pit was relentless, with fans giving it their all. Being their third time in Melbourne, the audience knew exactly what to expect—and they loved every second of it. Sunami tore through their set, delivering a crushing performance of their new release, ‘Sweet Relief,’ along with fan favourites like ‘No Heart.’ Before their final song, they fired up the crowd one last time, shouting, ‘You have one last chance to fuck this place up!’ The response? Absolute chaos. The pit went off, and Melbourne once again proved why it's one of the best cities for hardcore.

Next up was Vended, a rising force in the metal scene, making their debut on Australian shores. I’ll admit, I was beyond excited to see them live—and they did not disappoint. From their perfectly synchronised headbanging to their raw, infectious energy, they had the crowd hooked from the start.

Vocalist Griffin instantly connected with the audience, shouting, “Let me hear you cunts!”—which was met with laughter, as Aussies love hearing American bands drop the C-word. He then fired up the pit, declaring, “On this special occasion, I don’t care how fucking special you are—I want your ass moving in the pit!” And the crowd delivered.

Vended tore through a crushing set list, playing ‘The Far Side,’ ‘Where the Honesty Lies,’ and closing with the song that started it all, ‘Asylum.’ I honestly can’t wait to see them live again and witness what they bring next!

Next up was Miss May I, returning to Australia after nearly eight years. For many in the crowd, this was their first time seeing the band live, and the energy was electric. The pit erupted into chaos—fans body-slamming into each other and screaming along to every word.

They delivered a powerhouse set featuring tracks like ‘Into Oblivion’ and ‘Under Fire,’ with the band giving it their all. The crowd matched their intensity, raising their horns high and keeping the pit spinning. After such a long wait, Miss May I proved they were well worth it!

The energy mellowed out a bit as HEALTH took the stage, kicking things off with ‘CRACK METAL’—a track that had the crowd swaying and beach balls soaring through the air. Fans were fully immersed, especially during favourites like ‘Feel Nothing’ and ‘Hateful.’

At one point, vocalist Jake Duzsik addressed his calm demeanour, joking, “I know everyone else is yelling between songs—doesn’t mean I’m not happy to be here, I am… I just haven’t figured it out yet.” The crowd responded with laughter and applause, appreciating his deadpan humour.

They closed their set with ‘DSM‐V,’ a track that pulsed through the crowd with its hypnotic, raunchy beat, leaving everyone in a trance. A perfect set to shift the festival’s energy while keeping the momentum alive.

One of Australia’s most beloved metalcore bands, In Hearts Wake, stormed the stage with unrelenting energy, fresh off their two-month regional tour. The crowd instantly fed off their intensity, igniting an insane mosh pit complete with a wall of death.

Their set featured tracks from their latest album, including ‘Tyrant (ɹoɹǝdɯǝ ǝɥʇ)’ and ‘Gen Boom (ʇuɐɥdoɹǝᴉɥ ǝɥʇ),’ with vocalist Jake hyping up the pit, shouting, “Let’s open this pit up—I wanna see this shit moving!” The energy only escalated when they brought out two special guests: Ryan Neff from Miss May I joined for ‘Earthwalker,’ while Jamie Hails from Polaris jumped in for ‘Hellbringer,’ sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Adding a hilarious twist, Jake introduced a ‘special guest’—Timothée Chalamet. Moments later, someone cloaked and masked emerged, carrying a foam board, before diving into the crowd and riding a sea of fans.

They closed their set with ‘Worldwide Suicide,’ leaving the crowd in absolute chaos. A high-energy, unforgettable performance from one of Australia’s finest.

After more than a decade, Hatebreed made their long-awaited return to Australia with a crushing performance. From the first note, they hit hard, blasting through tracks like ‘To the Threshold’ and ‘Empty Promises.’

Vocalist Jamey Jasta kept the energy high with his signature quips, at one point demanding, “I wanna feel the fucking ground shaking!” And the crowd delivered—moshing with such force it felt like they were creating their own earthquake.

Even after two decades in the game, Hatebreed proved they still know how to ignite a crowd. With horns in the air and relentless headbanging, the energy never let up. Jamey laid down his rules for the night: “Rule number one—everyone leaves with a smile on their face. Rule number two—no one leaves with a voice!” The crowd erupted in response, proving that Hatebreed isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Enter Shikari danced onto the stage all the way from the UK, immediately setting the crowd into motion with some hip-swinging grooves. Frontman Roughton 'Rou' Reynolds aimed to create a more intimate moment, saying, “Let’s introduce each other—I wanna see people on other people’s shoulders!” The crowd quite literally rose to the occasion, as fans hoisted each other up to exchange greetings, creating a surreal and communal experience.

Their set was a perfect blend of old and new, featuring tracks like ‘Arguing with Thermometers,’ ‘goldfĭsh ~,’ and ‘Mothership.’ But the highlight of the night came when they launched into their iconic hit, ‘Sorry, You’re Not a Winner.’ Even those unfamiliar with Enter Shikari knew this song, clapping along in unison to its signature beat—a breathtaking sight as thousands of hands moved in sync.

Their infectious energy never wavered, making for a truly unforgettable performance.

After nearly three decades, Dutch symphonic metal legends Within Temptation finally made their long-awaited debut in Australia—and it was nothing short of breathtaking.

The stage was set with an ominous atmosphere as vocalist Sharon den Adel emerged wearing a striking horn-encrusted mask, opening with ‘We Go to War.’ Chills ran down my spine. The crowd stood in awe, mesmerised by the sheer talent and power of the band’s performance.

I couldn’t help but sing along to one of my favourites, ‘Wireless,’ while the entire audience was swept up in the band’s spellbinding presence. A particularly emotional moment came when Sharon shared the story behind ‘Supernova,’ saying, “A few years back, I wrote this song for my dad who passed away, so if someone out there is missing someone, this is for you.” It was a heartfelt connection that resonated deeply, as everyone in the crowd had likely experienced loss in some way.

As the set drew to a close, Sharon even apologised for taking so long to finally tour Australia. They ended their unforgettable set with the classic ‘Mother Earth,’ leaving fans in absolute awe. Seeing Within Temptation live was a dream come true—and well worth the wait.

The Aussie boys hit the stage with the fiery presence of Polaris, starting off with ‘Nightmare,’ which filled the sky with burst of black ribbon. Vocalist Jamie dove straight into the action, spinning his head with his long hair whipping around while the pyro blasted, engulfing both the band and the audience. He fired up the crowd with a shout: “Open that shit up, open that pit up! Did anyone come here today to mosh? Get in that pit and dance!” And, of course, the crowd did not disappoint.

Jamie then teased the crowd, saying, “We're gonna do something special, something we haven't done before,” as they launched into ‘The Remedy.’ The moment became a true crowd participatory experience, with Jamie leading the audience to sing ‘Heavy lies the beating heart’ after he sang ‘Heavy hangs the air.’ The crowd effortlessly followed, singing every word, clearly knowing every line. With hands held high, they waved them side to side, fully immersed in the moment.

Polaris took things up a notch when they brought out a special guest for ‘Hypermania’—Jack Bergin from Void Of Vision—sending the crowd into an absolute uproar. As the set continued, there were walls of death and crowd surfing aplenty. They closed out their set with ‘INHUMANE,’ a track that stayed stuck in my head for weeks after it was released. The energy was unmatched, and the connection between the band and the audience was electric.

Up next, all the way from Japan, the incredible BABYMETAL took the stage and immediately commanded attention with their explosive energy. They kicked things off with ‘BABYMETAL DEATH,’ bringing the crowd to life as they strutted out in their iconic matching outfits, flawlessly synced with their signature dance moves. The atmosphere was electric, and it was clear that everyone was ready to get lost in the chaos of their performance. They kept the momentum going with crowd favourites like ‘Megitsune,’ ‘BxMxC,’ and the crowd-pumping ‘KARATE.’ Every song had the crowd hyped, moving to the infectious beats, and the intensity kept building.

But the real surprise came when they treated us to ‘RATATATA,’ a track they collaborated on with Electric Callboy. The energy surged even more, as fans sang along and moshed harder, proving that this was a fan favourite. After blasting through ‘PA PA YA!!,’ the band returned to the stage with even more flair. With flags in hand, they signalled the crowd to prepare for one of the most intense moments of the show—a wall of death during ‘Gimme Chocolate!!.’ The crowd was more than ready, and when the signal was given, it felt like the entire venue exploded with pure adrenaline.

What followed was a seamless blend of pure joy and chaos, with fans dancing along to every beat, throwing their fists in the air, and embracing the infectious energy that only BABYMETAL can create. It was moments like this that reminded everyone in the crowd that while metal can be fierce and intense, we’re all here to have fun and celebrate the music. The set ended with a sense of unity, as it became clear that metalheads might be known for their tough exterior, but when it comes down to it, we’re just here for the music, the community, and the unforgettable moments.

We all knew who was next without even having to look, as the iconic intro blared through the speakers: 'Dada-dada-dada, da-da-da-da-da, Dada-dada-dada, dada.' Of course, it could only be A Day To Remember, launching straight into 'The Downfall of Us All.' The band hit the stage hard, and the crowd went absolutely wild. Vocalist Jeremy McKinnon fired up the crowd, saying, “I wanna see the biggest fucking pit! You spent a lot of money on these tickets, get your money's worth!” He encouraged everyone to get in and have a blast.

The stage theatrics were on point, with fire, smoke, confetti, and black-and-white beach balls adding to the spectacle. Before diving into 'LeBron,' Jeremy hyped the crowd even more: “You may have seen us do this before—we've done this all around the world. We're gonna crowd surf on top of a crowd surfer.” He followed it up with a laugh: “What we just said is dangerous, so you shouldn't do it,” before joking, “Do you want to go home safe, or go home a legend?”

They played a mix of classic tracks, including ‘All I Want,’ ‘2nd Sucks,’ ‘I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’ and ‘Right Back at It Again.’ Naturally, they played ‘Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End,’ with the lyrics 'Disrespect your surroundings' ringing out as the crowd did just that—slamming into each other and having a blast.

They wrapped up the set with ‘All Signs Point to Lauderdale,’ launching toilet paper into the crowd. The fans kept the energy up, singing every word as toilet paper soared through the air, making for an unforgettable ending to an unforgettable show.

To close out the night, the very band that started Knotfest—Slipknot—took the stage in unforgettable fashion. Before their entrance, Gary Wright’s ‘Dream Weaver’ echoed through the speakers as the stage glowed green, the crowd buzzing with anticipation. All you could see were thousands of phone lights, ready to capture the moment.

Then, the eerie audio of ‘742617000027’ blasted through the speakers, sending chills through the crowd. As the tension built, Slipknot stormed the stage with ‘[sic]’, clad in white jumpsuits and their signature masks. The energy was electrifying. As I scanned the crowd, I even spotted a police officer singing along to every word, fully immersed in the moment while still keeping an eye on safety.

Corey Taylor addressed the sea of fans with, "Are you ready for something you’ve never heard before?" before launching into the live debut of ‘Gematria (The Killing Name)’. The crowd went wild—bodies surfed over the barrier, and the pit was so tightly packed that movement was nearly impossible. Everyone wanted to be as close as possible to witness this legendary performance up close and personal.

The set list was a perfect mix of nostalgia and evolution. They tore through classics from their 1999 self-titled album, including ‘Wait and Bleed’, ‘No Life’, and ‘Tattered & Torn’, while also weaving in tracks from across their 25-year career, like ‘Yen’, ‘The Devil in I’, and ‘Psychosocial’.

At one point, Corey took a moment to address the absence of Shawn “Clown” Crahan:
“As you may have noticed, Clown isn’t with us tonight. He had a family emergency, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.” The crowd responded with roaring support, a testament to the deep connection between Slipknot and their fans.

As the night neared its end, Corey amped up the crowd once more:
“We couldn't leave without saying goodbye, and I think we have the perfect way to do it.”
The band exploded into ‘Spit It Out’, followed by ‘Surfacing’, with Corey commanding the crowd to raise their middle fingers in unison. Then, just before the final song, Corey teased,
“This song has been played in Australia since our very first tour here.”
The voices around me whispered —‘Scissors’. And of course, they were right. Slipknot fans know their history.

It was a night of chaos, intensity, and pure musical catharsis—everything you’d expect from Slipknot and more.

A huge thank you to the teams at Knotfest, Destroy All Lines, and TEG Live for having us! It was an unforgettable day packed with energy, music, and memories—leaving many waking up the next morning with sunburns, sore necks, and well-earned hangovers.

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