CALGARY -- Korn has never been the type of band to play by the rules.
No wonder, then, that punctuality isn't particularly high on the band's list of priorities. At press time, the California rap-metal group had not appeared onstage for their show last night at the Saddledome. They were 40 minutes late and still counting.
To pass the time, two cameramen in the Korn crew were searching the crowd for big-busted women in tight T-shirts, whose ample busoms were shown on large screens.
At least by this point, Korn's two opening acts had already turned in fine performances that didn't involve the demeaning objectification of women.
You can't accuse Papa Roach of not putting their heart and soul into what they do.
Granted, there's nothing much that distinguishes them musically from the dozens of others head-banging-worthy, Nu Metal acts. But visually, the band is one of the more intense and electrifying out there.
Papa Roach's synchronized body motions looked polished without being contrived. And the band's new single, Last Resort, was performed flawlessly with driving power.
Singer Coby Dick fed off the energy of the flailing mosh pit on the floor, but seemed dismayed and more than a little peeved that most people in the seated sections remained that way. At one point, he threw down his mic and thrust a raised middle finger toward us boring jerks in the seating bowl.
Dramatic yet tongue-in-cheek, Powerman 5000's sci-fi inspired space-age industrial metal was entertaining and compelling.
The band -- clad in greyish silver Road Warrior/Blade Runner-fashioned gear -- kept mainly to their latest CD, Tonight The Stars Revolt, but also threw in a couple of lesser known older tracks like Car Crash, which went over just as well.
About midway through the set, frontman Spider correctly assumed that there were no dance-pop fans in the crowd and added triumphantly: "It's time to take back the music!"
On that note, I would advice Powerman 5000 to give Creep back to Radiohead -- it was not one of the best covers I have ever heard.
