Year two of London’s Rock The Runway was held this past weekend, and headlining night one was nu metal rap-rock titans Limp Bizkit. This year’s edition could have been called Rock The Park: September Edition, as the festival was moved to the cozier Harris Park due to traffic and cellular issues at last year’s festival.
Rock The Park earlier this summer was plagued by smoke from massive wildfires in the north, which caused the cancellation of the first two days of the festival and devastated festival organizers. Happily, the weather cooperated, and the festival was sold out for Thursday’s opening night.
Attendance estimates were upwards of 13,000, and it was definitely packed by the time Limp Bizkit hit the stage. The band opened with My Generation, an ode to Generation X, of which there were plenty in attendance. The rebellious counterculture label of Gen X also resonates with later generations, and honestly, people at a rock show just want to let loose.
There were plenty of backwards ballcaps, a signature style of frontman Fred Durst, worn in the sea of humanity in front of the stage, as well as the usual moshing and body surfing you would expect at a show of this nature. A huge screen behind the band flashed lyrics for many of the songs, encouraging fans to sing along, which they did with great enthusiasm.
At one point during the show, Durst joked that there would be free Limp Bizkit merchandise for the next five minutes. The joke was that there was no merchandise. I’m not sure what the reason for that was, but I know there were plenty of people disappointed by that.
The evening also featured California hip-hop artists Cypress Hill, who got the crowd moving to their signature West Coast hip-hop. Popular hits like How I Could Just Kill a Man, Hand on the Pump, (Rock) Superstar, and Insane In The Brain were obvious crowd favorites. The air was thick with a familiar haze, especially during the song Hits From the Bong.
The group let the fans know how much they loved performing in Canada and that they were no fans of the current administration in the US. It’s been a popular sentiment among many American performers while performing in Canada. Without getting over-political, it seems many of them are apologizing for the current political tensions this past year and they just want to bring people together.
A couple of Canadian talents warmed up the early crowd. Winner of the 2021 Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year, Kitchener's JJ Wilde performed an energetic set of alt-rock tunes for a mixed crowd, many of whom I’m guessing would not be her typical audience. Regardless, I think she likely got the attention of some new fans this day. She’s put on plenty of shows in the area and has built up a good reputation for her dynamic stage presence and her powerful vocals.
Opening the night was The Dirty Nil from Dundas, Ontario. This is a band that’s been around for twenty years, but this was my first time seeing them. I wasn’t at all disappointed. The power trio pushes a heavy sound live, and guitarist/vocalist Luke Bentham has great stage presence. Their music is heavy alt rock with a definite punk vibe. I’d love to see them again in a smaller, more intimate venue.
Limp Bizket
Cypress Hill
JJ Wilde
The Dirty Nil
