Slipknot – Interview [2000]

When we look back at the turn of the century, say ten years from now, we’ll look at the trends and news that shaped the way we were then, and compare things to the way they will be in the present. At this point, February 2000, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the here and now is and what isn’t. But make no mistake about one thing: Slipknot is here, and their time is now.

No longer in the shadows of the second stage at this past summer’s Ozzfest or opening gigs for labelmates Coal Chamber and Machine Head, Slipknot has leapt over the competition to go gold on the Billboard Charts. For those not quite sure what a gold record entails, it generally means that there are already half a million rabid Slipknot fans out there, and their Army is growing every day. Korn and Limp Bizkit may be selling millions of albums, but they have fallen short in heaviness as of late, which is where Slipknot has kicked in. One of their three percussionists, Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown), summed up the gold record pretty simply. “A band like us isn’t supposed to work in the industry’s eyes. Slipknot is something that needed to come for a long time. What better than to have a bunch of lunatics speak for you in the new millennium?”

And they’re sticking to that philosophy. Their shows are violent displays of everything society deems nonsense in heavy music, with blood-soaked moshers blasting one another as hard as possible, the only catch being that most of them have smiles on their face. Slipknot has brought out the inner turmoil of many young fans and shown them it’s alright to display it, as long as no real harm comes from it. The band members know what to expect at a show, and it is truly chaotic. But they also know that for every bad-ass who feels the need to pound on someone smaller, there are a hundred of those same kids waiting before and after the show to say their praises and shake hands with a band that has given new meaning to the word sick. They really appreciate their fans, and feel for what they think about Slipknot and all it stands for. “Every show is somebody’s first show,” says Shawn, “and I want to make it as memorable as possible.”

Their best attribute at this point is that they’ve been out on the road since May 27th, the date of their very first Ozzfest appearance in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was about twenty-eight shows there, a few little gigs in between, and on to the Livin’ La Vida Loca Tour with Coal Chamber, where they once again upstaged everyone they played with. It was evident they weren’t just show openers anymore, so the headlining tour they’ve begun should continue for quite some time. Their shows in Europe are being held in four to five thousand person venues, and dozens of bands are begging to open for them. A show in The Warehouse in Toronto, Ontario sold out in two days, and that club holds well over two thousand people. They’ve even gone as far as breaking into the mainstream media, with an appearance scheduled for February 25 th on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Not even perennial metal lords like Pantera, Sevendust, and Korn got a chance like this so early in their careers. Slipknot sees the opportunity at hand and plans to really abuse it. “One of the sickest bands on the face of the planet is going to be on a major talk show, and believe me, we’re not going to tone it down,” Clown says, adding, “If anybody is the ‘Knot, it’s Conan O’Brien. We’re not going to pull attitude with him because we’re fans of the show and we know he’ll love us.”

The success of Slipknot has not gone unnoticed, especially by their peers. Sevendust frontman Lajon makes a point of mentioning the boys whenever there are open ears. Slipknot’s fans far outnumber their naysayers. Then there is the feud they started with the biggest cop-outs in heavy music today, Limp Bizkit. There’s quite a story behind it. Somebody mentioned something that got to Fred Durst, Limp’s lead singer, and he pretty much stated his disapproval of both Slipknot and their fans. Slipknot is not a band to take any flack, especially about their fans, and as a result they’ve voiced their criticisms of Mr. Durst and his band of thugs. “This person told Fred, ‘Hey, you should shut the fuck up because Slipknot is kicking way more ass than you were at that time in your career’. So he says ‘Fuck it. The only guys who go to see Slipknot are fat ugly kids anyway,” explains Shawn, “I’m a fat ugly kid and I will fucking kill him. We play for ourselves first, and then we play for our fans. The thing is, it’s one and the same. He insulted everyone who is associated with us. I’m still a fat ugly kid who pays for my ticket, who will sit in the back at a KISS show.”

All comparisons aside, Slipknot would probably tear Limp Bizkit apart. And not because they’re entirely twisted compared to Limp Bizkit or because they have nine members, but because they truly believe in each other and will fight side by side for anything that deserves fighting for. And slander from a band at Limp Bizkit’s level is worth a punch or two, according to the band. Slipknot hasn’t gotten fame because they’re on MTV or the radio; their music is far too heavy for daily rotation. MTV took one look at their video for “Spit it Out” and gave it the ax without even airing it. They’ve won over fans with sheer brutality, honesty, and being completely uninhibited onstage. Their idea of a good time is beating the snot of each other for an hour every night, just to make their fans appreciate the effort that much more. They won’t talk trash; they have no reason to. They know they have all the time in the world to make their statement, and it is slowly unfolding every day. “As life goes on, as more albums come out, everybody will really start to believe in us, and they’ll really start to understand it. It’s hard now, but it’s still new,” states Shawn. “I’ll do interviews for the rest of my life. I’m no rock star, I’m thirty, and I haven’t got time for it. I figured it all out, all my shit, a long time ago. I’m here to kill people with music and get as brutal as possible for as long as I fucking can.”

It’s sort of frightening to think there is going to be more from these guys. At their current pace, their next release will probably debut at #1 on Billboard Charts. Slipknot, a top-selling act whose members beat each other, piss on one another, and have total disregard for anyone not down with them, could be the next Korn or Kid Rock. The voice of the next generation could be nine guys who won’t even show their faces during a show. This is not your really cool uncle’s old-school metal collection; these are nine crazed individuals being as extreme as they possibly can every night, just to keep themselves happy. They know what is at stake, and they’re laying claim to being the sickest and heaviest band out there. Period. And as much as they know they created this, they also know we didn’t have to buy it. “Anyone who has signed the guestbook, went to our web pages, came to shows, or told the band to fuck off, whatever it is, we thank you, from me and everyone in the band,” offers Clown.

So they’re not completely sick like they are onstage. They see what is going on and are in awe of the whole thing. Their characters get to see what happens in the pits every night when they play, and they get to hear the praises for it every morning when they wake up, without the masks on. The Army lives in every city. No matter where you are, Slipknot and their fans are around the corner. It’s only getting bigger, so to all those who haven’t yet figured it out, be wary: Slipknot is here for the duration. “I can’t believe we get to live out our dream. Nine guys are very happy and we just want to continue to make good music, continue to be as brutal as fuck,” Clown continues. “It’s only going to get sicker from here. Don’t think you’ve seen it all because we’ve already taken steps to make our visions come true. It’s a slow process, but it needs to be because we don’t want to let everything out right now. The band has got to evolve, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

They’ve already evolved into a massive thunderstorm, soon to start spinning like a tornado. A tornado called Slipknot, a tornado that is going to shred every single person out there who lets them. A year ago they were kings in Des Moines, Iowa. Now they’ve set the standard for what should be heavy in Y2K. Death-hop, ultra-violent, or just plain sick. Whatever you want to call them, just say it to their faces. They don’t like shit talkers. They let their presence speak for itself, and their voice is getting louder than any other. Open your ears and your eyes and look for the whirlwind that is spinning stronger everyday. Slipknot will not go away. Don’t trust me; trust them.

+ rick hinkson