The London Palladium is hosting a rather special solo show, especially this being a sold-out show on a Monday night. Then again, it’s not hard to see why. This is the first international show for CMFT, the Corey Taylor solo project.
Corey Taylor – London Palladium – 17 October 2022
Words: Kahmel Farahani
Photography: Jake Owens
Tonight Taylor is keeping it all in the family, as the Cherrybombs dance troupe, led by Taylor’s wife Alicia, is tonight’s opening act. With the usual mix of rope climbing acrobatics and fire play, it doesn’t boast anything fresh enough to truly excite. However, the Cherrybombs do win the crowd over by overcoming technical adversity (a track and video that refuse to play), and they leave to a stirring round of applause.
As the lights go down and a roar goes up in the crowd, a dressed-down Taylor and his band stroll on stage. “So glad to be back on my favourite fucking island,” shouts a grinning Taylor, “These are the motherfuckers I know! You ready?”
“I’m in about 12 Fucking bands, including Stone Sour – want to hear some Stone Sour?” The crowd’s roar of approval leads us into the beautiful and heartfelt Stone Sour classic Tired. It’s followed by the absolutely inspired stand up and dance-punk rock cover of All This And More by CBGB punk icons Dead Boys. Silverfish is a change of pace and a perfect showcase of the beauty and strength in Taylor’s voice.
Lunatic Fringe is given a bulked-up, electric treatment compared to the version that appears in the CMFT B-Sides collection. Tonight’s guitar duties are split between Taylor himself, Zach Throne and Taylor’s Stone Sour bandmate Christian Martucci.
As Corey Taylor is handed a stool and an acoustic guitar, there is an immediate call down the front requesting a certain fan favourite. “Ohhh you pricks,” laughs Taylor. “I’m not playing it….oh fine,” he grins before indulging everyone in attendance and singing the theme song to SpongeBob Squarepants. As the frontman of one of Heavy Metals biggest bands, it always raises a special smile to see that Corey Taylor still doesn’t take himself too seriously. In fact, far from it. Slipknot’s haunting ballad Snuff is given the unplugged treatment before Stone Sour’s Fabuless picks things up again.
Absolute Zero is a standout, with headbanging through the aisles. Wait And Bleed not only picks the crowd up but throws them into the wall, with absolutely ferocious riffs ripping through the room as the floor begins shaking from the crowd jumping. Taylor thanks the fans and the band yet again, and ends the main set with back-to-back Stone Sour classics Bother and Through Glass.
“You guys want one more song or two?” asks Corey as the band walks back on for their encore. “That sounds like bullshit to me! One or Two?”. As the applause and cries raise the roof off the Palladium, one imagines Taylor being trapped on stage for hours to come if the crowd had their way.
The Cherrybombs return to the stage as backing dancers for the indulgent but all too enjoyable CMFT Must Be Stopped, which medleys into Kiss’ Watchin’ You. It’s a brilliant end to a hugely enjoyable gig that felt more like a treat for the fans and the band themselves than a showcase gig.
Corey Taylor proves yet again he’s a man of many talents and genres, mask or no mask.
Corey Taylor – Setlist:
Love Song (The Damned cover)
HWY 666
Play Video
Meine Lux
Halfway Down
Tired (Stone Sour song)
All This and More (Dead Boys cover)
Samantha’s Gone
Silverfish
Lunatic Fringe (Red Rider cover)
Song #3 (Stone Sour song)
SpongeBob SquarePants Theme (Painty the Pirate & Kids cover)
Snuff (Slipknot song)
Fabuless (Stone Sour song)
Absolute Zero (Stone Sour song)
Wait and Bleed (Slipknot song)
Black Eyes Blue
Bother (Stone Sour song)
Through Glass (Stone Sour song)
Encore:
On the Dark Side (John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band cover)
CMFT Must Be Stopped / Watchin’ You (KISS cover)
