Remember the year 2000? Napster was king, Y2K fears were still fresh, and a masked menace named Slipknot had busted onto the metal scene with their self-titled debut released the year before. Now, 25 years later, the band's enigmatic percussionist, M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan, has confirmed to Kerrang! they're playing the entire album, front to back, on a surprise tour outside their recently-announced UK one.
"Are you joking right now? You're talking about the anniversary of one of the greatest metal albums to ever be released in the thought process known as reality, and you think this 54-year-old man who just told you 'I'm going out the way I came in', you think for one moment that this album isn't going to be played in its entirety in front of, like, a hundred people, 200 people, 300 people, 50,000 people." Crahan said when asked if the band has plans to perform the album live.
"I'm not going to live forever, man. Neither is everybody else. Things are changing very quickly. I ain't got no more time to fuck around. That is the vehicle of my soul, and the remembrance, the memories, the heartache of lost brothers and even sisters — all these people that are gone and we're still doing it." Clown added.
Now, it seems we should forget about stadiums and pyrotechnics. Clown hints at intimate venues, locations shrouded in mystery until the very last minute. Heard rumors about a 300-person club gig in Transylvania? You might be too late.
"Yeah, we're going to play that album from beginning to end. But I sure as hell am not going to just succumb to the corporate world and give all those people what they want. They're going to get it. But you know what we're going to get? We're going to have fun, too. So that means small shows and you won't know until you hear it. And if you heard it, you're already too late and you're not going to see it. So you better open up your soul, because then you'll feel it and you won't have to hear it because I'm being very serious."
While Clown remains tight-lipped about specific dates and other details, one thing's for sure – 2024 might be shaping up to turn into a Slipknot fest. They have shed the shackles of labels and merch companies, and Clown leaves something clear – they're calling the shots now. Expect the unexpected, because these OGs are playing by their own rules.
"We are in a very special place. We’ve never been happier because we’ve just been working on ourselves for a long time. And I’m not trying to sound crazy or whatever, but there is still a very deep thing between the OGs, and there’s five of us. And we have some pride in that and we have deep things we still work on fixing and we’re doing a lot better at that, and because of that, things are a lot easier. We’re really happy.”
"We’re off a record label, we’re off a merch company, and we’ve decided to move on. We’re moving on. We’re already there. We don’t pull a trigger unless it’s loaded, and we already hit the target. We’re confident enough to put out some dates. That’s all I can tell you, but I think you’re going to be happy. I think everybody is because nobody knows anything. That’s all I know. Because of that, I’m super-happy. "
Keep your eyes peeled, your ears open, and your masks ready. If we've learned one thing from Slipknot lately, is that the unexpected is the only certainty.
