Review: Knotfest Sydney @ Centennial Parklands
Review by Natasha Christian & photos by Rhys Bennett.
Knotfest Sydney left me questioning whether I've reached that age where the mere thought of attending a festival feels as strained and groaning as I do when I sit down.
I started writing this 24 hours after I first set foot on Centennial Parklands, and I’m exhausted. For the first time ever, after attending many, many festivals, I’m not sure this feeling is worth it anymore.
If I had to sum up the vibe in the air on Saturday, March 23, it would be “aggressive”, bordering on “murderous”.
The day began with the shocking news of yet another tragic concert shooting overseas, casting doubt over my anticipation of seeing a new era of Pantera live. I’m going to assume most of us know what happened to Dimebag Darrell on December 8, 2004 so I won’t rehash it here. John Lennon was also killed on the same day, 24 years earlier.
Reading the news of yet another disturbing concert attack was so unsettling, that I briefly considered staying home. But my drive to see Pantera live was stronger than my apprehension. This motivation to keep calm and carry on was pushed even further on the train ride to Knotfest, as I found myself sat behind a group of teens who loudly gloated about watching people die - a stark reminder of the desensitisation of youth. Admittedly, when I was their age I was a little psychopath too. I had a list of the most extreme/fucked up movies I wanted to watch, and I did watch most of them.
An ominous cloud appeared to be hanging over my day. So it goes.
Considering it’s mid-city location, Centennial Parklands has always been a pain in the arse to get to. When you get off the train at Central your options are a 10-minute light rail + 20-minute walk or a 30-minute walk. Surely Sydney can do better? Inspired by Pantera - we chose to Walk.
Walking to the festival was a sea of red, white and black. There is some irony in metal fans' love of wearing threatening t-shirts declaring “Stay the fuck away from me” while standing in a crowd of 10000 people. The excessive Pantera merch reminded me of a grungy metalhead I went to school with who I creatively nicknamed “Pantera Pants” … because he always wore Pantera-branded pants. Twenty years later I still think about Pantera Pants, and I’d like to think he pulled them out for a crowd surf this week.
While Knotfest Sydney wasn’t kid-friendly (a missed opportunity), it was extremely accessible. I saw plenty of fans in wheelchairs, with broken limbs or with carers enjoying the festival. While I can’t speak to this experience, it seemed like Knotfest got this right compared to other recent events.
The layout this year was two stages nestled closely together. This was convenient and meant there were no clashes, but it also posed safety concerns which was particularly noticeable during the two medical emergencies that arose during performances.
Despite some sound issues, musically, Knotfest offered diversity in performance, from the Welsh reggae-metal fusion of Skindred to the emo nostalgia-inducing tunes of Escape The Fate. However, it was The Hu's electrifying performance that truly captivated the crowd, earning them the moniker "Mongolian Metallica”. The band leaned into this comparison with a crowd pleasing cover of Through The Never.
As the day progressed, so did its challenges, notably the abysmal state of the festival's toilets, a grim reminder of the need for improvement in basic amenities at live shows. Looking around it was easy to see that majority of punters at Knotfest were men, but the toilets at the Sydney event weren’t women-friendly at all. The ones I went to (even early on in the day) were flooded and had piss all up the walls.
For a large chunk of the day, the many many fans who were only there for Pantera stood patiently under the one shady tree on the grounds. Conveniently placed right near the bar, they held firm on that shady patch until Phil Anselmo arrived. As I watched Asking Alexandria from the shady patch, I counted Burzum shirts like sheep. Not sure if it’s some weird (fucked) silent solidarity thing but it’s a conscious choice to wear one at this point.
I thought Halestorm was a great palate cleanser before the testosterone-fuelled hours ahead. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale delivered a strong vocal performance while punters started to fill out the pit waiting for the headliners.
Lamb Of God is consistently good live, and to Randy Blythe’s credit, it turns out he’s a pretty good crowd controller too. When a fan suffered a seizure mid-set, he immediately clocked it and did his best to keep the crowd calm while help arrived. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only emergency of the night, with another happening an hour later during Disturbed. Blythe and co finished their set with a fun version of Redneck and I realised I’d love to see him karaoke mashup with Phil Anselmo belting 5 Minutes Alone.
Up next Disturbed showed us why they are premium festival headliners. Their songs are undeniably good and David Draiman’s voice is indestructible. While there were sound issues to the point that I took out my earplugs for most of the set, fans got a solid performance that kicked off with Hey You, Stupify, Ten Thousand Fists and Prayer. Crowd favourites The Game and Down With The Sickness got the crowd moving and I even saw a few tears during the Sound of Silence cover.
However, it was Pantera's tribute to founding members “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul that stole the show. Led by Phil Anselmo's commanding stage presence, Rex Brown’s bass, Charlie Benante’s drums and Zakk Wylde's charismatic guitar work, the audience was quickly reminded of Pantera’s enduring legacy.
Anselmo knows how to strike the balance and connect with a crowd that’s juggling both macho and middle-aged. He’s also very aware of Pantera’s ‘hits’ and what songs are likely to draw in younger fans - a legacy band needs to keep the legacy alive after all. By the time we got to Walk, he’d successfully united young, old and everyone inbetween.
Anthrax drummer Benante paid respect to Vinnie Paul through double kicks, especially during Becoming, and while some wouldn’t have enjoyed Wylde’s take on the classic Pantera riffs, it’s hard to take your eyes off him. He’s the epitome of rockstardom (even with a Hello Kitty mini guitar in hand) and he oozes charisma. I liked that he was given the trust and freedom to add his flair to this 2024 version of Pantera. Wylde has a signature style that can’t be tamed, and while he’s here to do Dimebag justice, it’s not his job to imitate him. Overall I think he did a fantastic job and paid a fitting tribute to an old friend.
The 2024 iteration of Pantera is still very much worth watching. It was fantastic to hear I’m Broken, This Love and Fucking Hostile live. However, I was disappointed that their set was incredibly short considering how many fans were waiting for them under that shady tree. It would’ve been good to get a few more songs like Cemetery Gates. I get that Anselmo probably can’t hit the highs like he used to, but it would’ve been nice to see him try or get a guest (Draiman maybe) to do it.
Ending with Fucking Hostile seemed to forbode the post-festival trip home. Tension seemed to escalate every minute I edged closer to a warm shower and comfy bed. I watched fans pick fights with bus drivers, and bus drivers pick fights with fans. Some train lines were also out and aggressive fans with testosterone to the max were pushy and frustrated. Again City of Sydney, why? Overall a typical one-hour trip home took three, so I can understand why people were cracking the shits.
While fans were getting pretty murderous by the end, I’m relieved to report that the only death was my phone battery about 15 minutes from home. So as I sit here now, reflecting on the day, I can’t help but question whether the ordeal was truly worth it.
Do these fleeting moments of euphoria like seeing Pantera live justify the physical and emotional toll?
The lifestyle won. Look at me now, I’m broken.