I have so many magical Metal memories of working with Bakersfield quintet Korn. From epic USA tours back in the ’90s, filming for Headbangers Ball, to when the dudes popped into the Kerrang TV offices to play me their latest video. The quintet stunned my four Music offices (who were more used to Kylie or Jay Z swinging by) as colleagues stopped in their tracks to witness rock royalty walk up to my desk – a moment I will never forget.
Korn
Gunnersbury Park, London – 11 August 2024
Words: Sara Harding
Photography: Victor Frankowski
So when I heard Jonathan Davis, Munky, Head, et al, were playing in my back garden (Gunnersbury Park right by my beeeeloved Brentford FC stadium) it was a no brainer to get my Korn on with 25,000 others. 
It has been seven long years since Korn played London. This gig is a much-needed and welcome return for the Californian Nu-Metal pioneers as thousands of us walked to this stunning parkland setting for such a most wanted gig. As soon as we arrive on site, the place is packed with old-skool and new-skool fans alike from, Korn kids to Korn veterans like us.
The fans did the band proud, representing with merch from across the years, hair platted like Head, leather kilts, Korn T’s past and present, plus the omni-present ADIDAS trackies.
Adorned in their trademark ADIDAS glitter track-suits (I’ve been trying to buy one the purple trackie forever (ADIDAS/KORN PR ARE YA LISTENING?) Korn are as iconic as the brand they represent.
They are not the music norm as they span the rock, alt and Metal genres with that ever-present Scottish DNA from frontman Davis.
I am intrigued to witness what setlist Korn will bring to this West London world stage with a stunning list of anthems from their 40 million plus selling albums to pick from. 
Support came from the truly awesome Liverpudlians Loathe, Wargasm and Spiritbox and as the sun set on thousands of sun-kissed, or in some cases sunburnt fans, the atmosphere was crackling with expectation.
The band burst on stage with Rotting In Vein, and 25,000 Korn fans literally levitated from the ground up with energy. 
Then it’s crash bang into Here To Stay, a very relevant song as it is clear Korn are genuinely here to stay and still loved by generations of Korn fans. As I walk around the festival site, A.D.I.D.A.S blasts out, every single person here is singing along and living their best life. Still one of the best videos we ever played at MTV/Kerrang this song is as anthemic and relevant now as it was back in the day.
Rewind back to nearly 30 years ago and it is Clown, another killer track from their self-titled album. Props here to the production team who deliver a massive sensory overload of lightning and on screen action giving this show an extra level of gig experience.
Start The Healing is up next, and this is where the band’s brutal, bone-shaking backline gives us goosebumps. Just like their sparkly, sporty tracksuits, this is heavyweight musical sportsmanship at its very finest as Korn charge into Good God.
Drum solos are normally when we head off to the bar, but not on this occasion, as we are stupefied into not buying an overpriced warm beer but instead stay rooted to witness the superb skills of Ray Luzier, an instant fit with the band. And we are rewarded as Korn launch into one of my personal favourites, Blind.
The band have got this setlist just right. It felt like it was cherry-picked for us fans, old and new, but equally, we could see how much joy Korn get out of playing their music with Got The Life, Falling Away From Me, Coming Undone and Somebody Someone.
Y’all Want A Single is another welcome song to their arsenal and is again one of those tracks that brings back all of my favourite Korn memories.
Shoots And Ladders deliver as always with their sublime nods to the ‘Tallica while Twist gets the mosh pit into full fury for another frenzy of hair and Korn T-shirts whirring up the dust from this scorched and sun-drenched park.
And if the band can ramp it up even further, they do, with Twist and Divine, which is our homestretch to a final anthem like no other, as it’s time to unleash our Freak.
What the hell can I write that has not been written before, from the brainy reviews at Britain’s posh newspapers to us superfans who scribe because we simply love rock music? This was a tour de force gig on every level. Just like the Olympics we have just experienced, it was supercharged, energetic, buzzing and gold medal worthy.
As we leave the West London park, every single fan is entertaining the ‘normals’ on their train journeys home singing about dreaming of sex all day long – fucking hilarious.
With new albums and new gigs afoot and maybe a black glitter Korn tracksuit for moi, long may there be Korn.
Huge Korn hugs to Velvet Hammer Management, Festival Republic and Kamran James Haq.
This article was updated on 15 August correcting the number of fans in attendance to 25,000.
