"You can't kill me - 'cause I'm already inside you". If Charles Manson grew up on the new jack metal scene (Korn, Deftones, System of a Down) and had an appreciation for Slayer - he might've been a founding member of Slipknot. And talk about image… Stephen King could only hope to concoct such a nightmare. All members (no names, just numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8) create their own personalized masks to "reflect" and "animate" certain self-admitted extremes of their respective personalities. Upon witnessing these creations, it's safe to assume Slipknot members share a certain… we'll call them "sanity-challenged".
The image alone would sell these guys for sure, but guess what - they've got the sonic assault to back it up. Boasting a line-up consisting of not one, but THREE percussionists, two guitarists, a bassplayer, a DJ/sampler and singer - the wall of percussive throb and crunching guitars is enough to stop most electrical equipment within range. Dynamics, dynamics, dynamics (all while driving a musical fork into your skull). A lopsided balance of mean laid against the melodic. It's most definitely abrasive on some levels, so popsters and grunge rockers should just stay away because Slipknot is sandpaper on a sunburn. Slipknot is the hornet hiding inside your open Pepsi can. Slipknot is the throb in your headache as well as the empty aspirin bottle you grasp for relief. Slipknot is your disease for which there is no cure.
I interviewed Slipknot drummer, Shawn, on the back of a golf cart, under a tree, backstage at the OzzFest 99, San Bernadino, CA - 7/24/99.
Bushman: How's the press treated Slipknot so far?
Shawn: It's been awesome man. We just do it for the kids. You know, we don't care if it's a two page zine, a two paragraph zine, a two sentence zine, radio, whatever man, we're gonna do whatever we need to do to get it out to the kids. That's the most important thing. And I think the press gets it and we're just doing the best we can.
Bushman: How's the OzzFest crowds reacted through this tour?
Shawn: Awesome man, I think the kids are ready for something brand new. I think they're tired of the derivative, regurgitated crap that's out there that just will not die. So, ah...I think they love it and we've got a great response, a lot of kind words from all the beautiful people on the web. We're just trying to do it for them, it's all about them and I'm glad to see kids are getting it. And we're just gonna keep taking it to'em. You're never gonna get rid of Slipknot.
Bushman: Slipknot kind of came out of left field (more precisely Des Moines, Iowa), how long was the band performing as the current version before Ross Robinson (I AM RECORDS imprint) stepped in?
Shawn: The current line-up has been since the album, so it's taken…we've been together almost four years. Just building on it and there's been some member changes and stuff, but the band as of now is the band as of now. Y'know you gotta be a special person to be in the 'knot. And that's what happened with Ross. And we just built a family and now the family stays.
Bushman: Do you feel Slipknot might've been rushed into the public view with being on such a high profile tour as the OzzFest without actually having an album released?
Shawn: No because, I mean what is the ticket anyway, y'know what I'm saying? The ticket is to get your music to the most mass amount of people as possible. We believe in ourselves so much. We don't feel that we're a joke. We're very serious and we're very aggressive and like I said, I think it's what the kids and the general public has wanted for a long time. I think the end goal for any band no matter how large or how small is to get out in front of as many people as humanly possible. So we're very privileged and very honored to be part of such a wonderful tour as this. So naw, I think we hold our own. We're not a joke band and I think people see that.
Bushman: How was Slipknot received in the Midwest before the OzzFest? Shawn: Awesome. The kids there go through the same things that we go through and that's whole reason why we built the band. Frustration for an outlet to art. There is no outlet for music or art of any form (in the Midwest) and arts very sterile and you get very very very hungry for that stuff so we're conceived because we went through the same shit.
Bushman: Surprised by any of the bands? What's the coolest surprise at OzzFest so far?
Shawn: We don't really hang around with anybody really. We have our specific people, but we focus mainly on what we have to do. We play and then we get depressed because we're not playing soon enough again.
Bushman: How far do you take the mask persona off the stage?
Shawn: Um, it just depends. Y'know I don't usually do interviews without the mask and just depends on the vibe. We're not about our faces, we're not about our names. It's just about the music and that's the most important thing in the world. So it's not like we're going out and trying to do this crazy-ass Kiss thing where I don't want anybody knowing who the fuck I am. But y'know I'm married and I got three kids. I'm not here to ego trip. I'm not here to get fucked up. I'm here to play music. I'm here to throw down as hard as I can. And if the fans see me out there and they recognize me, man I'll sign autographs all day long. It's for them. But it's not about what my hair looks like or what I look like or whatever. And once you come to terms with who we are as a band, like the mask I wear, the clown, once you come to terms with him, and you're all good with the clown, then you focus on the music - and that's our whole trip, is the music, that's what it's all about.
Bushman: What's the current mental state of Slipknot?
Shawn: Dude, I don't think there's any words to describe the mental state of Slipknot. Brutally brutal band dude, all the time. We're going to be doing this for a long time and the minute it gets cheesy dude, we're gone. And that could be tomorrow. Could be ten years from now. But world domination is surely in order.
Bushman: Do you ever win any of the fights with your drum kit?
Shawn: I'll tell ya, that's a really really really really good question. Because in the olden days, I won all the time because the drums were made out of wood. And if I ever got fucked up, the shit's just dead, y'know what I'm saying? But now I've got titanium drums, made by Rod Dummet - fucking shit's strong. So it's pretty brutal, my knuckles are all fucked up and as you can see (pointing to his forehead). It's pretty brutal, but I think it works.
Bushman: Any other injuries from this tour?
Shawn: Aw dude, you name it man. I got shin splints from hell, I got bruises all over my legs, I got bruises all over my chest. Completely fucked up. Head wounds. It's happened twice to me, on the same fucking song. You just take it.
Bushman: Which song?
Shawn: It's a song called "Eyeless". I've always believed that brutality balances you out. It's not fun unless someone gets hurt. I don't want any of my kids getting hurt out there so, fucking better beat me. I'm so into I don't give a fuck.
Bushman: What would be your reaction to people that might be quick to dismiss Slipknot as a "gimmick" band?
Shawn: Well, they are the ones that wish they were managing us, putting us on the radio or whatever. They are the ones that just don't get it. They can go fuck themselves. It's like, whatever they want to say dude. We're not a joke band - come to the show. Watch our drummer play, watch our guitar player - watch our fucking singer sing and then tell me it's a fucking dismissable band. Slipknot is for real. Seriously, I think anybody can see that. And if you don't like it just go fucking die.
Bushman: Is Motley Crue cool?
Shawn: Fuck yea, dude. "Ten Seconds to Love", I'll go on the record right now and say that's my favorite song.
Bushman: If given the powers, what laws would Slipknot pass?
Shawn: I'll tell you what, I'm not going to answer that question because you'll get your answer in about five years.
Bushman: What cause would Slipknot be the poster children for?
Shawn: It would have something to do with a mental ward. Somehow, someway something to do with losing your fucking mind.
Bushman: Who has turned into the "must see" band of this tour that all the other bands have to check out? (Last year it was Tool).
Shawn: Slipknot buddy.
Bushman: (Hed)pe will back that up.
Shawn: I love my bros (hed). I love my bros in System. Y'know we're here to watch Black Sabbath and Slayer every fucking night. We all have our favorites and we just do our thing.
Bushman: I'll hurry up here and try and get this over.
Shawn: No, No dude, we're good.
Bushman: Cool. What's the first big rock show you ever went to?
Shawn: Kiss. I play drums because of Peter Criss. My first album was "Dynasty". And my very first big rock show was Kiss. Changed my live forever.
Bushman: With mounting success and imminent world domination, will you continue to claim Des Moines as home?
Shawn: I am not ashamed of where I'm from. Never will be. Y'know I'll probably live there the rest of my life. It's quiet, it's my mentality. I can focus on my dreams and who I need to be there. I don't have to pretend to be anything. I've got no pressure from anybody. Record label people don't like to come there. Record industry people don't like to come there. And we don't want them there anyway man. We want to fucking write music and we want to write it our way and we don't want any help and that's the way it goes. So we're all good man, I'll probably live there the rest of my life.
Bushman: What were the members of Slipknot like as youth?
Shawn: I'd say we were all hyperactive and depressed and just fucking always in trouble. You know, just doing our thing. I think we were all just pretty nutty little kids and I think maybe some of us were really quiet and just looking out from the inside y'know?
Bushman: You guys hang out with Ozzy at all?
Shawn: I've had the pleasure of meeting "the King" one time. He's not someone….He is someone that would meet you every day, he is a very kind soul. He's just not someone we choose, as a band, not to bother. Nothing but love for him. He is the ultimate king.
Bushman: Which is one of my questions, "Much love goes out to…?"
Shawn: Dude, we have a picture of Ozzy on Blizzard of Ozz on the bus that guides us everywhere we go.
Bushman: What's the stupidest thing you ever did?
Shawn: Fucking dream to be in a fucking rock-n-roll band. Because you gotta be careful what you dream for. Because now I'm in this psychotic fucking absurd dream that I'm following every day that's just fucking killing me. But I love it. It's just nuts just doing our thing.
Bushman: How does the press affect your opinions of bands?
Shawn: None at all. Y'know seeing is believing. I don't judge anybody in this world, race, ethnic, whatever.
Bushman: Who is a Saint?
Shawn: Ozzy Osbourne.
Bushman: Who is a Sinner?
Shawn: Ozzy Osbourne.
Bushman: What's the coolest?
Shawn: Pain.
Bushman: What's the lamest?
Shawn: Pain. No let me change that. The lamest is lack of truth.
Bushman: Any messages to the masses?
Shawn: Brutality balances you out. I'm coming to fucking kill you.
I did not get to see the Slipknot set. They were the first band and the powers that be decided to start the OzzFest about an hour earlier than scheduled. And when you're the first band, that means a lot of disappointed fans. Slipknot will be heading out at the end of this summer with the Roadrunner Records fueled lineup of Coal Chamber, Machine Head and Slipknot so maybe we can catch up with the live entity in a few months. I'll close with one more sincere thank you to Shawn for giving me one of the coolest interview experiences yet. And in his own words scrawled upon my Slipknot CD jacket:
(with a little clown head outline with the number 6 in the middle).
