It’s a Saturday night in 2024 and based on tonight’s lineup and the sold out crowd it seems that Nu Metal is very much alive and thriving, a 4 band bill, cheap tickets and 2001 merch prices. What more could you ask for? This evening’s show is headlined by Soil supported by a lively undercard featuring Hed P.E, Nonpoint and making a return to the UK for the first time in 2 decades we have The Union Underground opening things.
Even with the criminally early start time of 6.30 The Union Underground are greeted by a decent sized crowd who are very enthusiastic. Tonight’s performance is a 30 minute burst of bangers including Killing the Fly, South Texas Deathride & Turn Me On Mr Deadman from their album …An Education in Rebellion, as well One Nation Underground, known most notably as the one time theme for WWE Monday Night Raw. They even play new song Faith Collapsing with a promise that new music is coming. As far as openers go The Union Underground get things off to a suitably rowdy start.
Nonpoint are up next and waste no time getting things going again. Tonight’s setlist is well curated with only one thing in mind, how many times can they get everyone bouncing. Picking songs from across their well stacked discography, they put on the kind of performance that showcases why they are old hands at this. Frontman Elias Soriano is an engaging and charismatic presence that has the audience eating out of his hand like it is nothing. A thoroughly enjoyable set from a hugely underrated band.
Hed P.E are tonight’s sub headliners and it’s a good thing it’s a saturday night because they came to PARTY. If the essence of Nu Metal could be distilled into a singular band, it might be Hed P.E. Their set is punctuated by hits (Bartender, Killing Time, Blackout), a whole lot of swagger, a marriage proposal in the pit and a lot of good vibes. For a band so long in the game, setting places off is second nature to them now. They sound as fresh and fun still after all of these years as they did when they first gatecrashed the scene. The perfect band to keep the energy flowing and getting everyone warmed up for the headliners.
Soil are a band that has always seemed at odds with the Nu Metal scene. They lack a lot of the fundamental things that make up the bones of the subgenre, yet they managed to thrive in that boom period and have stood the test of time. This current tour is in celebration of the bands’ second album and arguably their most popular Scars. Tonight’s set consists of the album in full and is a timely reminder of what a cracking record it is.
Hearing some of these songs from Soil live for the first time even after all of these years is a treat. Tracks like Breaking Me Down, Unreal & The One sound so heavy and so alive in this setting. Inside and Two Skins are huge muscular anthems that ignite a frenzied crowd, and while the band cheat so they can end their set on Halo it’s worth the wait. It is a colossal banger that sounds incredible reverberating around a packed venue as everyone screams it at the tops of their voices.
Say what you want about Nu Metal, and many people will. It will never be considered the coolest or most prestigious of metal genres but a night like tonight proves that it will always be the most fun. An outrageously joyous evening reliving my youth to some of the tunes that defined it.
