"Limp Bizkit": history of creation, participants, soloist, albums and concerts. Biography Group limp

What happens if you rap hip-hop to metal? One of the pioneers of the nu-metal scene, veterans of alternative sound, famous brawlers and aggressors - this is a group with the strange name “soaked cookies”. Limp Bizkit's style features the armor-piercing rapping of Fred Durst, the masterful scratching of DJ Lethal and the insane visuals of guitarist Wes Borland.

The name was coined by the band's bassist Sam Rivers. Or rather, it was not invented - after many attempts to identify the formed team, Sam exclaimed that his brain was “a softened biscuit.” Fred liked this statement, and the newly formed team set off to smash the provincial punk clubs of Florida with their rapcore.

Since 1994, the group had to knock on labels and perform as an opening act for various more famous bands. Within a few months, Durst and his comrades were able to gather a thousand people in a small Milk Bar. Thanks to Borland's flamboyant image, the addition of DJ Lethal, and his cover of "" Limp Bizkit's audience is growing exponentially.

Three Dollar Bill's first album, Yall$, interestingly, was in some way a parody of the work of the group, known for its philosophical lyrics and heavy, oppressive musical atmosphere. Durst even parodied the vocals of the band's lead singer, Maynard Keenan. DJ Lethal, in turn, set an experimental vector in music writing - the sound of LB developed in an attractive and fresh way. The next album, Significant Other, became more qualitative in sound and a true classic of new school metal.

Limp Bizkit, despite the aggressive lyrics that expose the evils of society with pure obscenities, can sound more lyrical - a striking example of this is the 2003 album Results May Vary. The song "" became an atypical experiment for the group, and one of the most trendy stars of the early 2000s, Halle Berry, starred in the video.

In 2004, LB's sound became more depressive, with political and social themes penetrating the lyrics. The musicians decide not to promote the release of “Unquestionable Truth” (in two parts) in terms of advertising and promotion. Despite successful sales and good reviews from critics about the band's emerging potential, Durst was rumored to be dissatisfied with the work done. In 2006, the group went on sabbatical, and according to Borland, Limp Bizkit is unlikely to get back together.

As it turns out, Wes was wrong. In 2009, Durst announced the release of a new album, Gold Cobra, which, after the release of the single “Shotgun,” produced the effect of a bomb exploding. The group again confirmed its own tough sound and craving for experimentation, this time adding keyboard parts. In addition, after the release of the album, the musicians broke ties with the major label Interscope. The group goes on a world tour.

2012 was overshadowed by a conflict with DJ Lethal: the vinyl master, as they say in the media, had a serious quarrel with John Otto and Fred Durst, after which he left the group, it seems, forever. Borland commented on Lital's departure as follows: the dj is part of the group's family, and his life without LB is impossible.

By 2015, Limp Bizkit began touring frequently in Russia, and Fred Durst declared his love for the country, where, according to a recent interview, he plans to look for a wife and play 20 concerts in different cities. The band is currently working on a new album, “Stampede Of The Disco Elephants”: the release is expected to be released before the end of the year.

When local tattoo artist Fred Durst met Sam Rivers, the band's future bassist, at the chicken joint where Sam worked. Sam later brought his cousin, jazz drummer John Otto, into the group. After Wes Borland joined the group, the period of formation of the group's composition at that time passed. At first, Fred was strongly against Wes, but when Durst left on business, the guys “voluntarily” accepted Borland into the group. Fred found out about this only just before the band's very first concert, so he couldn't change anything. It's time to come up with some catchy name, something that will be bright and memorable the first time. The story behind the name is quite interesting: the band members were coming up with the name, and Sam complained to Fred that his brain looked like a soggy limp biscuit. Fred liked this phrase, he changed the second word a little, and from then on the group became known as Limp Bizkit.

The band spent the whole of 1995 in Jacksonville, the guys had already begun to whine, but luck was with the band; as part of their tour, Korn stopped in Jacksonville. After the concert, bassist Fieldy and guitarist Head from Korn went to Fred Durst to get tattoos. A friendship quickly struck up between them, and on their next visit they met Fred again. After listening to the demo tape of Head and Fieldy, we were amazed. They promised to give the tape to their producer Ross Robinson. They kept their promise and the producer liked the recordings. From that moment on, the group Limp Bizkit began to gain popularity. Limp Bizkit was invited to tour with House of Pain and Deftones. Offers from various record companies from all over the country poured in like a cornucopia. After much thought and weighing the pros and cons, Fred signed a contract with Flip Records.

Produced by Ros Robinson and DJ Lethal (House of Pain), Three Dollar Bill Y'All was wildly popular and sold more than 1.5 million copies. DJ Lethal joined the group a year before the album's debut. The album Three Dollar Bill Y'All is famous for its scandalous re-covering of George Michael's song Faith. As well as the scandal surrounding the only single from the Counterfeit album, Flip/Interscope Records was caught paying bribes to increase Counterfeit's airplay on KUFO radio in Portland, Oregon. But, as it turned out, the fans did not care at all about all these scandals; the Limp Bizkit group continued to gain momentum.

After the release of their first album, the musicians developed active concert activity. They took part in the 1998 Warped and Ozzfest tours, and were later invited to the Family Values ​​Tour 98, where they performed with Korn, Orgy, Rammestein, Incubus, Ice Cube.

On June 22, 1999, Limp Bizkit's long-awaited second album, Significant Other, was released. The album sold more than half a million copies in its first week of release. The album featured such stars as Method Man from Wu-Tang Clan (N 2gether Now), Jonathan Davis from Korn and Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots, the album also features a speech from Matt Pinfield from MTV, even Fred Darst's mother participated in the recording album.

Also in 1999, Limp Bizkit took part in the Family Values ​​Tour 99 and Woodstock 99.

On October 17, 2000, the band's third album, Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water, was released. And immediately went platinum! Just think, in the first week, Chocolate Star sold 1,054,000 copies! The disc held first position on Billboard for two weeks. But this album was supposed to be like that, because the release date was postponed 6 times (it was originally scheduled for July 4th (!)). Another reason is the many guests - Xzibit, DMX, Method Man, Redman, Scott Weiland. The group also prepared the ground for the release of the album - together with Cypress Hill, they held the Back to Basics tour. A distinctive feature of the tour is that it was FREE. Immediately after the release of the album, the group went on the next tour - Amger Management, which included Eminem, Papa Roach, DMX and others.

Among all American rock groups, Limp Bizkit is one of the most popular. Three Grammy nominations have contributed to her success around the world. Aggressive lyrics and their presentation, experiments with sound, vibrant concert shows - all these are just some of the reasons that contribute to the constant increase in the army of fans of the group.

What is the group famous for?

Over its more than twenty-year history of existence, Limp Bizkit has repeatedly become a prize-winner in a variety of musical categories. According to music critics, its uniqueness lies in the skillful combination of rock music, rap and nu-metal elements, which emerged as a result of many years of experimentation with sound and the use of a wide variety of instruments.

It is worth noting the bright concert programs, during which the members of the group devote themselves entirely to the process: they actively work with the audience, perform their compositions as close as possible to the original and make each show different from the previous one. Every year the group gives more than 50 concerts around the world, and it is sometimes simply impossible to get tickets for them.

How was the team formed?

The idea of ​​creating the group “Limp Bizkit” belonged to its lead singer, Fred Durst, who always dreamed of working in a team whose work would combine rock and hip-hop. At the beginning of 1993, he was involved in three little-known projects at once, each of which did not bring him any creative satisfaction. That is why he left them one by one, deciding to create something completely different.

In December of that year, Fred contacted bassist Sam Rivers, with whom he had worked in one of his former projects, and offered him a collaboration. Sam became seriously interested in the idea of ​​creating a new band and immediately called his cousin John Otto, who knew how to play drums well. The most difficult thing was with the guitarists; they changed quite often until the appearance of Wes Borland, who became one of the band's calling cards.

Members of the group

The composition of Limp Bizkit has remained virtually unchanged throughout the band's existence. The main members are considered to be: Fred Durst (vocals), Sam Rivers (bass, keys, backing), John Otto (drums), Wes Borland (guitar, backing) and DJ Lethal (keys, sampling), the last two left the group in 2001 and 2012, respectively, but after a break of several years they still returned, to the delight of their fans.

The musicians thought for a very long time about the name of the group, there were many ideas, but all of them were rejected by Fred. Sam could not withstand such a brainstorm and stated that his brain was like a softened cookie (limp biscuit), after some adjustments the name “Limp Bizkit” appeared, its translation remained the same. At one time, members of the group included Mike Smith, Terry Balsamo and Rob Waters, all of whom also became famous figures in show business.

Frontman of the group

Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst was born into a poor family; his biological father left her when the musician was only a few weeks old. For a couple of years, Anita, Fred's mother, tried to make money and solve a huge number of problems; they had to live in the attic of the church, where ministers sheltered her and her child. Soon the woman married Bill, a police officer who raised Durst as his own son. As a teenager, Fred listened to heavy music and tried to write rap, this helped him get rid of negative emotions.

After graduating from school, he decides to go to Gaston to support himself, he has to work in fast food, parks, clubs, but he doesn’t stay anywhere for long. In 1988, he decides to go to serve in the navy, after which he gets married. The marriage turns out to be fleeting, Fred's only positive memory of him is his daughter Adriana. Later, cohabiting with Jennifer Revero, Durst becomes a father for the second time - the girl gave birth to his son Dallas. The musician later returned to Gastonia, where he formed a new group, stylized as Vanilla Ice, but without success.

The real success began in Durst's life after returning to Jacksonville, where he met his future colleagues in Limp Bizkit. Now the musician is married to a Russian woman, Ksenia Beryazeva, a native of the Kemerovo region. In his latest interviews, Durst noted that he would like to officially become a citizen of Russia, but for now this is only in the plans.

LB: 1994-2005

The entire history of the existence of the Limp Bizkit group can be divided into two stages. The first of them began in 1994 and lasted until 2005. Initially, the team gained popularity as an underground group, but after several concerts it became clear that without having their own “tricks” they would not be able to break into the big stage. By 1996, the group already had its own style, and a year later acquired a producer and its own team at the label.

A huge number of tours, concerts and filming seriously influenced all members of the group - they became more serious, which affected the quality of the lyrics and music. The team has repeatedly been criticized for their shocking behavior, as well as for their lack of restraint towards their colleagues. However, Durst and his team ignored the caustic remarks and continued to do their job to the delight of the fans.

The period from 2001 to 2004 was quite controversial for Limp Bizkit, which was also affected by the absence of Wes Borland; the album Results May Vary, released in his absence, was torn to smithereens by critics. The musicians were consoled by the fact that the record was successful from a commercial point of view. Disputes begin in the group about the need to continue working together, as a result of which the team members decide to take a break.

LB: 2009 to present

The pause was beneficial for the group: during this time, the music of “Limp Bizkit” not only did not lose its relevance, but also became a kind of guide for young people. In 2009, the group visited Russia and many other countries as part of their tour, after which they sat down in the studio to record a new album. The work took about two years; a significant increase in the number of keyboards helped the musicians finally achieve the favor of critics.

Despite DJ Lethal leaving the group in 2012, the musicians continued their successful touring activities, alternating it with filming videos and recording new material. As of 2018, the group is busy recording their seventh album; in March of this year, the DJ who left 6 years ago returned to the group, which should also have a significant impact on the record.

Video support

Another key feature of the Limp Bizkit group is the clips, when you first watch them it seems that they carry absolutely no meaning. This is exactly the impression that comes from the video created for the band’s very first song, Counterfeit, directed by Fred Durst. The frontman of the group directed almost all the videos, thanks to this they managed to achieve maximum integrity of the picture and sound.

Russian fans learned about Limp Bizkit by watching the video for the song Faith, created from video archives accumulated during the tour. The group's friends Korn also appeared in the video, and for the first time the images of the alter egos of the band's leaders Fred Durst and Wes Borland were used. Some of the group's creations were banned in a number of countries due to the controversial lyrics of the compositions, accompanied by a peculiar video sequence.

The song Rollin` became a turning point in the career of “Limp Bizkit”; the clips that appeared earlier did not have any semantic meaning. The video is best remembered for being filmed in New York City's infamous towers, but is considered one of the highest-budget in rock music history. Subsequently, the group indulged fans with videos less often, and more often than not they were just clips from tours.

Musical style

The founder of the group, Fred Durst, initially assumed that the group would combine a huge number of different musical styles. The leaders at the moment are alternative metal, nu metal, rap, funk, rock, in parallel with this, musicians constantly include elements of post-grunge, hard rock, heavy, progressive, as well as alternative rock in their compositions. All compositions are processed using a variety of techniques, resulting in an unusual sound that has no analogues.

Most of the lyrics of the compositions were written by Durst; they often contain abscense vocabulary, are imbued with aggression and are associated with the peculiarities of society. Some songs ridicule society and parody media personalities; in recent years, there has been a tendency for the lyrics to reflect the personal experiences of the band's vocalist and his position regarding certain political events.

Is it worth going to the show?

Limp Bizkit's songs might not be as popular if it weren't for the elaborate concerts for which the group is famous. All show programs consist of stage productions combined with visual effects. One of the most striking is the 1999 Family Values ​​Tour, when the band members used a mock-up of an alien ship to perform.

The “calling card” at concerts is costumes that frighten and mesmerize fans. Wes comes up with them himself and pays special attention to body painting, painting his body in a wide variety of colors. In an interview, the musician repeatedly talked about the fact that for some performances he uses only shoes and underwear, and the rest of his body is completely covered with paint.

Scandalous image

The image of hooligans and brawlers stuck to the group from the moment of its first performance. After the release of the video for the song Rolling, Limp Bizkit began to be written about in the press as musicians who do not hesitate to express their opinions on any issue. The group members did not shy away from quarreling with their colleagues. In particular, we are talking about Eminem, with whom the musicians were at first friends, but later the relationship deteriorated when the team refused to support the rapper in a conflict with Everlast.

Perhaps the most famous is the scandal associated with the group Slipknot, when Fred, in one of his interviews, did not speak very correctly about its fans. The drummer of the project threatened Durst with physical violence if such statements were repeated. The latter replied on the band's official website that he was happy that Slipknot hated Limp Bizkit, because it only made their music better.

The band's hits

Despite the fact that the band became popular thanks to their own songs, some listeners remembered only one Limp Bizkit composition - “Behind Blue Eyes”. A cover of The Who's song with a rearranged melody and added electronic sounds remained at the top of the planet's leading music charts for several months. Some fans of the group were surprised to learn that this composition was created by other musicians, and not “Limp Bizkit”, “Blue Eyes” - that’s what they initially called the song.

The list of the group's most recognizable songs also includes the following tracks: Nookie, Break Stuff, Combat Jazz, Shotgun and a number of others. Not long ago, the band released a new single, called Ready to Go, which should be included in the band's new studio album. Fans love rhythmic songs that you can dance to at concerts, the group tries to take their opinion into account and release as many similar creations as possible.

Discography

It is quite difficult to find a group that could come close in sound to Limp Bizkit; the musicians have already released six albums, and are now recording the seventh. The first of them - Three Dollar Bill, Y"all$ - was released in 1997; when preparing it, the band was guided by the principle of using names that would repel listeners and evoke negative emotions. Original effects and a clearly structured rhythm section helped Limp Bizkit released an album that, although criticized by various music reviewers, still sold well.

The albums Significant Other, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water and Results May Vary, released in 1999, 2000 and 2003 respectively, only strengthened the band’s position in the music market. Limp Bizkit's last album was released in 2011; fans have been waiting for a new disc for seven years, about which nothing is known except the title - Stampede of the Disco Elephants.

Group achievements

Limp Bizkit has existed for more than 20 years, except for a four-year hiatus, during which time the band was nominated three times for the most prestigious music award on the planet, the Grammy, and also received a huge number of prizes. The group received its first award, the Billboard Music Awards, in 1999 for the Nookie video, which was also repeatedly nominated for a number of other prizes.

More often than others, the group was highlighted by MTV, which is aimed at a young audience who respects rock and alternative music. In 2009, the team was inducted into the Kerrang Hall of Fame! for their achievements and the formation of a progressive audience who loves rock music.

Fred Durst is the notorious vocalist of the popular American rapcore group, a film director who has won a Tribeca Film Festival award.

He shocks the public and colleagues with rude statements, while speaking enthusiastically about Russia, and is fond of creating tattoos.

Childhood and youth

Fred Durst was born on August 20, 1970 (according to some sources - 1971) in Jacksonville, Florida. The boy's father left the family a few weeks after the birth of the child. Fred was raised by his mother, Anita. The first years of the life of the future celebrity were not sweet.

Lack of money, home and work forced Anita and her son to huddle in the church attic, eating food donated by parishioners. When Fred was 2 years old, his mother met her second husband, a police officer named Bill.

The boy already demonstrated musicality in early childhood, often imitating the performers beloved by his parents. As Fred and his brother grew up, both became fans of rock music, in particular the band Kiss.

When it was time for the young man to enter high school, the family moved from Jacksonville to Gastonia, North Carolina. This is where his passion for hip-hop culture began. While studying, Durst even formed a breakdancing group called Reckless Crew. A huge contribution to the young man’s future was a gift from his mother - a mixer, on which Fred tried to mix his first tracks.

Durst then begins participating in rap competitions. After the decline in the popularity of break culture, the guy and his friends found a new hobby - skateboarding. It was at this time that Fred's musical tastes changed in favor of heavier music. The musician began to devote much more time not to mixing, but to writing deep, interesting lyrics.

After graduating from school, Fred tries himself in completely different areas. After entering Gaston College, he begins to work part-time in fast food, DJing and skateboarding. However, Durst does not stay anywhere for a long time and decides to go serve in the navy, especially since the young man’s physical form met the necessary parameters. With a height of 175 cm, the guy’s weight did not exceed 70 kg.

After the service, Fred returns to Gastonia and starts doing hip-hop again. Then, together with a friend, he organized a rap duet. The guys even recorded a promotional video, which never helped them get a studio contract.

Durst, upset by his failure, returns to Jacksonville and becomes a tattoo artist. By the way, it was he who created the tattoo with the logo of the band KORN on the back of its vocalist Brian Welch. Fred himself, already in his youth, began to decorate his body with various tattoos. Among the notable images are portraits and that adorned the chest of the lead singer of the rapcore group.

Durst’s friend, the band’s frontman, who also owned the Club Tattoo chain of salons, also shared his love for tattoos.

Music

The beginning of the legendary band Limp Bizkit began in 1994, when Durst met Sam Rivers, the future bassist, in a cafe. Sam invited his brother John Otto to join the team, who became a drummer. The next member was Wes Borland, and the lineup was completed by DJ Lethal, who joined the guys a year later.

The group's first hit was a cover of a song called Faith. This composition was especially popular due to its long broadcast on MTV. The group has many hits, among which the tender and lyrical “Behind blue ice” stands out. In addition to his main work as a vocalist, Durst directed most of Limp Bizkit's videos and also directed some Korn videos.

Another hobby of the musician is designing tour stages for the band’s performances. A distinctive feature of the musician’s stage costume was the attributes of a skater style - wide pants and a cap, which Durst still wears today.

Initially, the artist chose red baseball caps, then hats of other colors appeared in his wardrobe.

In the 2000s, Durst often agreed to collaborate with colleagues. He became one of the heroes of the video for the single “The Real Slim Shady”, making fun of the stars of the American pop scene. Doubles and others starred in the video. The musician also appeared at concerts.

Durst's creative biography is not only about music. Fred also tried himself as an actor. His film works include episodic roles in the television series "", in the Revelations project and other films.

Fred also owns his own recording studio, Flawless Records, a division of Geffen Records. The studio has contracts with many famous performers.

In recent years, the musician has been trying to realize his potential as a film director. The first full-length film in his filmography was a work called “The Education of Charlie Banks.” The drama brought its creator a prize at the Tribeca Film Festival in the category “Best Feature Film about New York.”

In 2008, the sports film “The Outsiders” was released, which was about the first female participant in the Pop Warner football tournament. Later, Durst's career as a director took a 10-year break.

The musician is known as a scandalous person. Provocative statements at concerts and in the press, being late and publicly insulting colleagues are an incomplete list of conflict situations with Durst.

The apotheosis of the soloist’s scandalous aura was a 3-minute video that ended up on the Internet, showing the musician’s sexual pleasures. But there is an opinion that it was Fred himself who posted the video on the Internet to stir up interest in himself.

Personal life

He met his first wife, Rachel Tergesen, at the age of 20 while serving in the Navy. The newlyweds began their family life in California. They had a daughter, Ariadne, but the marriage soon broke up. In the early 2000s, the singer’s new chosen one was a girl named Jennifer Revero. She gave birth to Durst's son, Dallas.

As for his personal life after gaining popularity, one can get lost among the rumors. A striking example was Fred's alleged affair with Britney Spears. But the information was denied by the singer. Durst couldn't help but add some spice to these rumors, saying that although there was no relationship, there was a sexual relationship with Britney.

In one interview, the musician stated that he wanted to find a wife from Russia, justifying this statement with his love for Russian traditions and Russian cuisine. In 2009, his wife for 3 months was Esther Nazarova. And in 2012, the singer married a Crimean woman, Ksenia Beryazeva. In early childhood, the girl and her parents moved closer to the Black Sea from the Kemerovo region. Later she became a makeup artist and now works as a beauty blogger.

And in August 2015, the singer finally confirmed his commitment to Russia, applying for Russian citizenship after a conversation with the President of Russia. The musician planned to organize a business in Crimea related to the production of television series, which he intended to supply to the international market.

For 6 years of marriage, the couple never had children. In 2018, Durst announced his divorce from Ksenia. According to Fred, after the divorce he will stop financing his ex-wife, which she insisted on.

The artist shocks the audience in everything, including posts from his pages on social networks. The singer's official account in "Instagram" dedicated to publishing photos of rare cars.

Fred Durst now

In 2018, Fred Durst began filming his next feature film, “Moose.” This is a thriller that deals with the theme of a popular musician being stalked by an obsessed fan.

The script is based on a story that happened to Fred himself several years ago. The main character, a madman who destroys the life of his idol, was played by. For the new image, the famous actor worked thoroughly on his image. The film is expected to premiere in 2019.

Discography

• 1997 Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
• 1999 Significant Other
• 2000 Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water
• 2003 Results May Vary
• 2011 Gold Cobra

Filmography

• 2001 – “Zoolander”
• 2005 – “Be cooler!”
• 2005 – “Revelations”
• 2006 – “Population 436”
• 2007 – “The Education of Charlie Banks”
• 2008 – “Doctor House”
• 2008 – “The Outsiders”
• 2019 – “Moose”