Knotfest Roadshow 2019 is without a doubt this summer’s heaviest-hitting metal festival tour. Slipknot have embarked on a six-week long tour around North America, and they’ve brought Polish extreme black metal band Behemoth, French technical heavy metal titans Gojira, and Danish rockabilly outfit Volbeat with them for the ride. 

I was fortunate enough to be approved to photograph all four bands on Knotfest Roadshow’s lineup. Of course being that Gojira is currently my favorite band and I had never seen Slipknot live, I was overly excited to cover this event. The show I attended was in Burgettstown, PA on August 23 at Keybank Pavilion. I was treated to VIP services and met some wonderful people on this assignment. The weather was beautiful, the staff was welcoming, and the crowd was loving every second of it. 

Behemoth took the stage first and got the crowd up on their feet and ready to rock. Their live performance, visuals, and stage theatrics were stunning. All hail Behemoth! Second band out was Gojira. What can I say?!? They were great! I took some of my best shots ever of Gojira during their performance. Third band to play was Volbeat. They played a solid set of varying fan favorites. Then the almighty Slipknot hit the stage after a long build up and a dramatic curtain drop. They honestly totally shocked me and blew me away with their whole performance. I had no idea what I was about to witness and be a part of. The most mesmerizing show of the year for me.  

Slipknot are metal icons for a reason. They gave their all to the music and the fans. They’re out in support of their newest studio album, We Are Not Your Kind. The album is awesome and I can now say that I’m definitely a Slipknot fan. They easily have the greatest stage show ever which features fiery pyrotechnics, a massive 2-story stage, treadmills, giant video screens, and every member of Slipknot running around losing their shit and getting the crowd into a thrashing frenzy. 

There are only a few dates left on Knotfest Roadshow 2019. The tickets can be a bit pricey, but it’s well worth it for all the metal madness you’ll be treated to. If you are a fan of heavy music or of live performances in general you do not want to miss this summer festival. I will be seeing Knotfest Roadshow at least one more time before the tour is over.  Check out the tour dates here!

Here are some more photos from Knotfest Roadshow at Keybank Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA on August 23, 2019. All images copyright and courtesy of Andy Jillson.      

Behemoth

Gojira

Volbeat

Slipknot