Who would have thought back in the late 90s when Slipknot first oozed out of the primeval slime of rural Iowa, that one day their shouty vocalist in the ugly mask would become a living legend? Being honest, bar a couple of songs, I am not a big fan of the boiler-suited weirdos, however when a friend introduced me to a band called Stone Sour a few years later I was astonished. “THIS is the same singer?” I proclaimed.

My interest was piqued, and the more I have learnt about Corey Taylor in the subsequent years the more I have come to admire him. I bought his first solo album CMFT in 2020 because of its inclusion in our annual countdown and was blown away by his musical diversity and vocal range. I am pleased but also maybe a little embarrassed to admit that tonight is the first time I’ve actually seen him live. I am, if you like, a Corey virgin.

But first before the main event we have Oxymorrons (spelled with 2 Rs because another band copyrighted the name then broke up, but wanted to charge them $25k to use it!) who turn out to be something of a breath of fresh air, but also somewhat difficult. The sound isn’t great, in fact one of the dual vocalists can barely be heard at all for the first couple of songs. Not often there are days you hear me complaining that it isn’t loud enough, but they definitely need a few more decibels.

This, combined with the chattering masses at the bar who were way too cool to watch a mere support act, make it a bit difficult to really get what they were about. Which was a shame, as when I can hear them (and occasionally see the tops of their heads) they were really good.

They gave us sharp, punchy funky rap-rock, throw in some pop punk and then mix the whole thing up with some nu-metal just for shits and giggles. I am nodding along from the start, and by the end of the set I even participated in a little jumping. Ahem.

The influences seem to be The Offspring, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Linkin Park, but the dual vocals and rap style gave it their own twist. Their latest album, released just last month, is called “Melanin Punk”, and the title track from it was a proper up-tempo booty-shaking slice of musical goodness. They did their own thing, and it worked well. I just wish it was a touch louder.

So as the lights dim, the crowd screams “Corey! Corey!” and a frisson of excitement streaks through the venue. A brief drum solo launches us into ‘The Box’ from Corey’s most recent solo album “CMF2” and the room erupts. An avalanche of bodies slam on the floor, and an avalanche of sound pours from the PA. Someone has found the knob that goes up to eleven, and the sound is crystal clear and face-meltingly loud at last.

The balance between aggression and emotion throughout the set is a fine one, and Corey manages to walk that tightrope without a single slip or dip from start to finish. He draws on his past as well as his present, and we have Slipknot songs, Stone Sour songs and tracks off both his recent solo albums. Corey is apparently delighted to be back in the UK, delighted to be back in Manchester in particular (I bet he says that to all the venues!) and Manchester is delighted to have Corey here again.

The set is a rollercoaster of consistent highs. A spotlight acoustic version of Slipknot’s “Snuff” is enough to give us collective goosebumps whilst The hilarious silliness of the Spongebob song is just the right side of pastiche. The raw power and punch of Stone Sour’s ‘Song #3’ is incendiary and the crowd revel in screaming “No Way To Beat Me No Way To Win!” at the tops of their lungs during ‘We Are The Rest’.

The whole show is a masterclass in how to be a rock star. Corey is humble, engaging, funny, concerned. He stops the show at one point as a lady on the barrier isnt doing too well and makes sure she is out of the mele and OK before he continues.

I was expecting to enjoy this evening but I can say without prejudice that this performance is probably my gig of the year in 2023. In fact it’s up there with my best ever. The band are spot on, Corey is absolutely fantastic and the whole atmosphere is intense yet still friendly and fun.

The night finishes with a powerful cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ which is dedicated to the whole of the UK because, as Corey says, this is where it all began. Great band, great frontman, great night. Corey and his band didn’t just live up to my expectations, they exceeded them.