“By the third or fourth 'JUNT' from the guitars my son was in tears”: Knocked Loose and Poppy shock late-night TV viewers with hell-raising performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The rapidly rising band delivered a pyrotechnic, mosh pit-fueled set that shone a bright spotlight on modern hardcore genres. But the late-night TV beatdown wasn't to everyone's tastes
(Image credit: Torben Christensen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
In what might have been one of the most hardcore performances ever to grace the Jimmy Kimmel Live! stage, Knocked Loose and Poppy brought their unique brand of metalcore to the late-night TV spotlight.
The two acts performed the Grammy-nominated track Suffocate in the pouring rain – which, together with the pyrotechnics and visuals – and a very present mosh pit, firmly cemented Knocked Loose's position as one of the most essential heavy guitar bands of 2024, and showcased Poppy's chameleonic talents.
For this momentous occasion, guitarist Issac Hole wielded his white custom 7-string Ibanez Iceman equipped with DiMarzio Fusion Edge 7 ceramic humbuckers, while rhythm guitarist Nicko Calderon brandished his 7-string Ibanez Prestige AZ24047. Bassist Kevin Otten debuted his brand-new 5-string Balaguer bass.
Speaking about his custom guitar in a Guitar World interview earlier this year, Hole explained, “I wanted an exotic shape for this new era of Knocked Loose, but it still had to be comfortable. I want to feel in control of what I’m playing.
“I also love throwing my guitar around, so it needed to be light – I don't care about dings and scratches. I care about my guitar’s wellbeing, but they’re meant to be sacrificed.”
While many praised Kimmel for inviting more hardcore and experimental artists onto the show, it reportedly received a barrage of complaints for deviating from its usual fare, with some even allegedly demanding a “formal apology.”
“You know I was trying to enjoy the program. I was sitting on the couch with my son who is an ADOLESCENT waiting to see the musical guest because we like the nice music the show usually books,” one viewer wrote on Facebook, as reported by The Mirror.
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“By the third or fourth 'JUNT' [djent?] from the guitars my son was in tears. He doesn't like scary things and quite frankly I think the Kimmel show and its staff should make a formal apology.”
As for backlash, which also happened when the band was announced for Coachella, Hole simply commented, “Stuff from our world is getting pushed to the limelight a lot. I think people are very interested in the sound and aesthetic of aggressive music right now.
“There are rap shows that are more aggressive than any metal show – losing your mind isn’t specific to just metal. Our tent at Coachella reached capacity before we started and not all of those 7,000 people were Knocked Loose fans.”
He concluded, “Many heard rumblings that a metal band was playing and wanted to check it out. Because of that, a lot of people came away seeing something they’d never seen before – and they were either terrified or low-key connected with it.”
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.
