Page 58 - ION Indie Magazine November December 2019 Issue

Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, Slipknot is a heavy metal band founded in 1995 by percussionist
Shawn Crahan, drummer Joey Jordison, and bassist Paul Gray. The band members were in flux
until 1998, but an additional six members were added: Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor,
Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root, playing together for more than a decade. The only founding
member of Slipknot to date is percussionist Shawn Crahan.

Slipknot is known for its energetic live performances combining theatrical elements with heavy metal.
The band’s early shows included stage dives from high balconies and band members setting each
other on fire. Shawn Crahan took to wearing a clown mask earning him the nickname “Shawn The
Clown” or simply “Clown.” Crahan would go into the audience wearing his clown mask and tie fans
up with the microphone cord. Former bassist, Paul Gray, once stated in an interview that due to
lawsuits, the band excluded this as part of their show.

Combining masks, jumpsuits, elaborate stage set ups that were often two to three tiers high,
hydraulic drum risers, black lights, and pyrotechnics, Slipknot presents and experience unlike any
other concert witnessed before. Their multifaceted approach to music and art is so stimulating it is
too complex to describe. One would truly really have to be there to fully understand.

On August 9, 2019, Slipknot released their sixth studio album titled, “We Are Not Your Kind.” To
date, the band has sold over 30 million records worldwide.

Learn more about Slipknot at: https://www.slipknot1.com/