Even though wristbands weren’t to be distributed for two days, diehard fans began lining up outside the 3,000-seat State Theatre July 9.

The following morning, Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst took to the airwaves on two radio stations and exhorted fans to get to the line. Durst even made an appearance to greet fans and sign autographs around 1 p.m. July 10. The crowd reportedly grew to some 400 people by late afternoon.

The only problems encountered were heat and a midday rainstorm, according to the Detroit News.

“We prepared, and this is the way it was supposed to go off, and we shouldn’t have any problems from here on out,” State Theatre general manager Joe Nieporte told the paper.

Despite the calm outside the State Theatre, the preparation for the tour has given off a definite air of confusion.

The caravan was supposed to launch July 4 in Chicago, but those plans fell through and the date was pushed back a week, making Detroit the kickoff city.

Uncertainty about the opening date raised doubts about whether wristbands would be ready in time, and whether the shows would even happen, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“It is a little anarchic and little confused,” an 89X DJ named Holly told the paper. “But you can blame that on Fred Durst – I think he likes it that way.” Nieporte said perceptions differ greatly from reality, noting that police and theatre security have been planning for the concert for nearly six weeks.

“We’ve got metal barricades around the building. We’ve got free Domino’s pizza and bottled water and Porta-Johns,” Nieporte told the Free Press. “We want to make sure this is going to be as pleasant as possible – this isn’t going to be like Woodstock, where they were charging $5 a bottle,” Nieporte said, referring to accusations that Limp Bizkit incited crowds to riot at Woodstock ‘99.

After the two shows in Detroit, the Back-to-Basics tour – with Cypress Hill and Capitol Eye in support – moves on to Worcester, Mass., and eight other cities before wrapping up August 8 in San Francisco.