It seems mad to think that Download 2024 marks Limp Bizkit’s first main stage appearance at this festival since their legendary return in 2009. Save for Fred Durst swapping his red cap for a fisherman’s hat and growing out a long, greying beard, not much has changed since then in Bizkit world if this set is anything to go by. The nu metal legends still lean on an evergreen set of undeniable bangers like Break Stuff, My Generation, Rollin’ and My Way, all of which inspire mass sing-a-longs from the barrier to the back of the field; they have the groove and the catchiness to dominate and delight any stage on the planet, guitarist Wes Borland still dresses like a hard rock Grace Jones and Durst can still hold 80,000 people in the palm of his hand with total ease.
There are a few differences to Limp Bizkit of old though; Durst stops Nookie half-way through when there is a crush in the crowd and refuses to start the set again until he is satisfied a medic has arrived on the scene - a far cry from the man (wrongly) demonised for his rabble-rousing behavior at Woodstock ‘99. Plus, Bizkit do actually have some new(ish) material to promote, with their 2021 Still Sucks album still fairly fresh in the memory. Trouble is, they don’t actually play any of it. In fact, save their divisive cover of The Who's Behind Blue Eyes, nothing from Bizkit’s set comes from their post-Chocolate Starfish... work.
