15.06.2023 Papa Roach

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

After spending the entire day hopping between tents (which honestly wasn’t the worst idea given the temperatures), it was finally time in the late afternoon to head outside to the Main Stages. Nu‑metal veterans Papa Roach were on the schedule, and it seemed I wasn’t the only one excited. The area in front of the South Stage was already nicely packed. They’ve been shaking up the scene since the early 1990s, and today I finally had the chance to see them live for the very first time.
They started off with something more recent: “Kill The Noise” from their latest album “Egotrip”, clearly showing how much the band has evolved over the years. But by the second song, “Getting Away With Murder” from the 2004 album of the same name, the crowd really began to heat up, and those good‑old vibes rolled across the fields of Dessel. Crowdsurfers took to the sky, and the steady stream didn’t stop until the very end of the show. Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix was in top form and so were his band mates. Not just vocally, but in terms of energy, this was blockbuster‑level entertainment. Papa Roach knew exactly what the crowd wanted and worked steadily toward the big finale. They kept mixing newer tracks with older ones and even threw in a few cover versions like “Firestarter” by The Prodigy or “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre. These were solid, but they did cool the crowd’s energy a bit each time. Still, with classics like “Between Angels And Insects” from their 2000 album “Infest”, they fired things right back up. The circle pits never stopped raging, and the crowd hung on Shaddix’s every word, shouting along to every song. And then it finally arrived, the moment the field had been waiting for, and the band had been building toward: the last song. What else could it be but their megahit “Last Resort”? The band delivered and how! The crowd gave everything one more time, turning the performance into something truly unforgettable.
With the songs of Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit, I grew up through the late 1990s and early 2000s. I had already seen Limp Bizkit live, but somehow never crossed paths with Papa Roach, until this day. And I was absolutely not disappointed. Wow, did this band deliver! The field was packed, the atmosphere was electric, and the guys were in absolute top form. Everything just clicked, and for me, this was clearly the highlight of Thursday and one of the best performances of the entire weekend. If the band ever plays near you, don’t hesitate. Get a ticket. It’s absolutely worth it!

Setlist:

Kill The Noise
Getting Away With Murder
Help
Blood Brothers
Dead Cell
Broken Home (Eminem's "Loose Yourself" Intro)
Firestarter (The Prodigy Cover)
... To Be Loved (Ramones's "'Blizkrieg Bop" Snippets)
Lullaby (The Cure Cover, Instrumental)
Scars
No Apologies
Still D.R.E. (with Tommy Thayer guitar solo)
God Of Thunder (with bass solo)
Psycho Circus
Let Me Go, Rock'N'Roll (Dr. Dre Cover, Snippet With Band Introductions And "Infest" First Verse)
Between Angels And Insects
Born For Greatness
Lat Resort