The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear on Limp Bizkit's UK Tour
Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Written by Jack Terry
Nu-metal royalty is on its way back to the UK, with Limp Bizkit about to embark on a short tour culminating in massive shows at the OVO Arena Wembley. A band that led the field when it came to brute force riffs and scatalogical rhymes at the turn of the millennium, they've sold more than 40 million albums worldwide off the back of songs that ramp up the energy at every turn. So, in anticipation, we compiled the 10 songs from their back catalogue that we are dying to hear live in the coming days.
Take A Look Around
Take A Look Around is a fascinating snapshot of the nu-metal dominance circa-Y2K. This was the title track for global blockbuster Mission: Impossible 2, and what Wes Borland was able to do with that iconic theme tune still holds up as one of Limp Bizkit's best moments. Say what you want about the film itself, but this song headlined a soundtrack that featured Metallica, Rob Zombie and Foo Fighters teaming with Brian May to cover Pink Floyd. Nu-metal really was one of the biggest genres in the world back then.
Dad Vibes
After two decades of the red cap and the sagging pants, Fred Durst made a drastic change to his appearance and seemingly leaned into the fact that he was now old enough to be his Rollin'-era self's father. Dad Vibes was the lead single off of their latest album 'Still Sucks' and revealed a grey-haired, porn-stached iteration of Durst that felt like a tongue-in-cheek jab at how he should have grown up. We were just glad to have the Bizkit back after 10 years away.
Gold Cobra
After an experimental new direction on ‘The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)’ EP and a brief hiatus, Limp Bizkit returned in 2011 with ‘Gold Cobra’, an album that had the peak lineup back in their peak nu-metal ways. While public opinion had shifted into sidelining the genre as a guilty pleasure at best, this whet the appetite of the teens that ate up ‘Significant Other’ and ‘Chocolate Starfish…’ at the turn of the Millennium. Braggadocious and bruising, the boys were back.
Faith
Arguably the most needless cover song of all time, there's no denying that this take on George Michael's Faith is just good, dumb fun. A riotous rendition that has become a staple of their live shows and covers everything great about Limp Bizkit: the scratches from DJ Lethal, the wicked guitar lines from Borland and Durst's own inimitable style. We defy anyone to not jump around to this.
N 2 Gether Now
Limp Bizkit's fusion of rap and rock has been done in such a way that it retains the key elements of those disparate styles, and as a result, they've been able to call upon on the biggest players of rap to appear on their albums, including Lil Wayne, Redman and Xzibit. N 2 Gether Now remains the pick of the bunch though, featuring legendary rapper and Wu Tang Clan member Method Man. Seemingly trying to one up each other with increasingly obnoxious lyrics, this turned out to be a match made in heaven. Method Man even returned for a remix of Rollin', proving that rap and metal can live in harmony.
Leech
Taking it way back to the start, Leech appeared on Limp Bizkit's debut album ‘Three Dollar Bill, Y'all $’ as a demo, but fans grabbed hold of this as an exercise in unbridled anger. Raw and rough around the edges, it perfectly captured the mad energy of the band and highlighted the blunt force they were capable of. After 10 years of leaving this out of setlists, we think it's long overdue a comeback.
Gimme the Mic
The pinnacle of Limp Bizkit's run at rap-rock fusion, Gimme The Mic pairs Slipknot-esque riffs with Durst's lines about being a “microphone fiend”, while taking shots at the copycats that emerged in the wake of their success. Raucous and self-indulgent, what else were you expecting?
Turn It Up, Bitch
If you were to listen to Turn It Up, Bitch out of context, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was from their early albums. With its wonky bass line, boom bap beats and furnished with bold, arrogant lyrics, it's almost as if DJ Lethal returned to House Of Pain and stuck Durst on vocals.
Walking Away
When ‘Gold Cobra’ came out, it felt like Limp Bizkit were back in the way we grew to know and love them. What we weren't ready for, though, was their honing of everything they do to new brilliant heights. Walking Away was a fantastic snapshot of how their softer, more melodious side could be teamed up with their crunching, bruising energy, delivering the best of both worlds in an underappreciated anthem that ought to be considered amongst their greatest songs.
Break Stuff
When all is said and done, the legacy of Limp Bizkit will live and die by this song. A rousing anthem that seems unbound by the trends of the time, it's an evergreen reminder that everybody has their bad days. Whether you act upon it or not is another question, but the catharsis that this track represents for the downtrodden and the rebellious deserves to be heard at full volume.
Limp Bizkit Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed April 12 2023 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy
Thu April 13 2023 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Mon April 17 2023 - LONDON OVO Arena Wembley
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
