(SLIPKNOT) Clown and Joey Interview (Grinder Magazine Home Video)
Grinder Magazine Home Video
Note: Although Joey's Noh style mask is expressionless, it is amazing how the expression does change when he speaks, where he faces, and how the light falls. Noh masks are meant to do this, but it is pretty impressive considering this is not traditional Japanese artisan made.
(Note: I believe this is the "Caesar Mask")
MAN: Okay, we are here with Slipknot for Grinder Magazine in Chile
(General ambient talk)
WOMAN: First of all we note from your bio that you underwent minor changes in your early days. How long did it take you to settle on the current lineup? And who initially started the band?
JOEY: Shawn and the bass player, Paul, initially started the band. I came and checked them out. When they initially accepted me into the band, I had some ideas, I brought in two of the people I wanted to add. Just recently, like a few months ago, we just replaced another guitar player. So it's been such an evolution on creating this monster that we had, that it's taken a long time to, you know, get everyone set in stone cuz there's nine guys. The fact is that some people, even though they are our bros, didn't want to deal with the touring. Since we've all known each other like ten years prior to even starting the band, and it's been really easy to pick who we wanted in the band and what not. It's been really easy we've never had any problems.
WOMAN: Okay. And who came up with the name, and what does it mean to you?
JOEY: Uh, name of the band...um I came up with the name for the band, and basically we don't look at Slipknot, for you know what the definition of one is. We look at it if that's what our music is, that's the moniker we have. I mean it's a short word. It's easy. It sounds cool as it is two syllables. We got a logo that is pretty defined. All we wanted to be is whatever you take out of it. We wanted to have a moniker that's really easy for people to remember, so when they hear the band, and when they see and hear the band's music, that's easily recognizable as one thing is Slipknot.
WOMAN: Okay, and being from Iowa, were you able to play many gigs before actually getting signed?
SHAWN: Yeah, we played our assess off for as long as we could. Played the Mid West, and because of funds unfortunately we couldn't get all the way to the East Coast or the West Coast, so we maintained strong in our home Mid West area. As many shows as we could do, and we created a really big following you know. Especially locally, and you know, and the tri state area.
MAN: What tri state area do you mean?
SHAWN: Iowa, Minneap...Minnesota, you know there's Wisconsin, there's Kansas City, there's Nebraska...you know, round that region.
WOMAN: Okay, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
JOEY: We like to listen to everything, I mean, you got nine people in the band. A lot of people ask us, "Where do you get your influences from, and how do you make nine people stand out within the craft that you call Slipknot?". It's like, well that's the easy question. It's that we do have nine people, and nine people have difference influences. Um, it comes back to the family thing that we never fight over art, because you know we've all known each other for so long and everyone has valid ideas. It's just what makes the song the song.
MAN: What bands do you guys like in particular?
JOEY: We listen to everything, from like you know Black Sabbath and Slayer, to fuckin' Bauhaus and Terrorizer, fuckin Nasam. All that shit dude. I mean grindcore, the fuckin' old traditional heavy metal KISS. All that shit you know. I mean there's a lot of bands we don't like, you know, we won't name names...but okay, there's fewer bands we like than uh bands we don't like.
SHAWN says something quietly about liking bands in high numbers, versus those they don't.
WOMAN: Okay, and um are you familiar with black metal, and do you like that at all?
JOEY: Um, people like...kind of like...yeah, black metal. Um, I'll tell you what, we got a Venom Live CD, sitting right over there, I mean that's kind of like what started it all. We're not too in touch with all the black metal bands, I mean it's such a sacred scene and those people take that shit so fucking seriously, so it's like I can't really give a valid opinion cuz it's like I don't know much about it, and shouldn't fuckin' set my mouth where I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. But you know, I mean I am a fan of some of the bands like you know, we have Cradle of Filth CDs. A lot of people think they're like kind of the sellout fucking black metal band or whatever. Emperor is one of the really good fuckin' good black metal bands. We have discs by Abs* too, and shit like that, but we don't know...we're not that in depth with the black metal shit, you know. But I mean that's their scene, so I mean it's like let them take care of it, we have nothing against it. You know it's cool that those people take that shit so seriously, that's what we like about it.
WOMAN: So how would you define your type of music?
JOEY: Man, that's so fuckin' hard you know...that's like a trick question
SHAWN: We actually uh..you know, we've been asked it so much that we decided that we're going to let you guys decide what it is, coz we're hoping we're at the forefront of something new. You know, there is nothing but respect for all the great bands that really are taking over right now in the 90's you know, like you know who they are. I mean like we're hoping Slipknots at the bottom, and it's going to start a new thing you know, so we'll leave it to everybody else to decide what we are.
WOMAN: Okay. And how long does this tour last, and where will it take you?
JOEY: This tour will end up in San Bernardino, California, at the end of July, is that right, Danny?
DANNY: Yeah
JOEY: July 25th?
DANNY: It's actually Lemoore, California, July 25th
JOEY: Okay, okay
SHAWN: They added one California date
JOEY: It's two months...it's two months long, and we're doing Ozzfest in between dates
WOMAN: Okay, and will you be going overseas at all with this tour?
JOEY: Um yes, I mean it will be later, but we will be overseas.
WOMAN: Okay, and um also, this is your first tour, correct?
JOEY: Correct, this is our first major tour.
WOMAN: Okay...and any particular reason why your drum kit is made out of titanium?
JOEY: Not mine. His.
SHAWN: I'll try to make this as brief as possible. When we came up with the idea for the three drummers, when I first started working on the music and stuff, it was very important to me to have the percussion, because I was the main drummer you know, and I wanted to have the three percussions. And through prior recordings we noticed that it was very easy to sound too much like Joey. And he's such a great drummer that we would set up wood drums, and then I would sound just like him, and then we would have to get rid of my parts, you know, and it was really frustrating and I hated that shit. So, it was after years and years of working, and finally (you know, I'm a welder and I make those sculptures and all that crazy shit, and I make all kinds of head cages and stuff), and I finally found this guy and I designed the fuckin' titanium drums. He got 'em all done for me. He is the first guy who ever did like a titanium snare. And we made this set and they have a tone unlike any other drum. Ever. And like you know I'm the only guy with like all four of those drums. No other person, you know. And that's how when you listen to like the song, "Surfacing", you'll hear this whacked out guitar come in, and then you'll hear Joey come in with a high hat, and then Joey with bass drum, and then all of a sudden you'll feel this power. Boom! Those are the two extra percussionists you know. Finally, you know we differentiated the three of us, and its important because it's a big part of the live thing, just the driving music behind it, and you know...plus I...you know, both percussionists always broke out wood drums like fucking unreal. I'm constantly breaking wood drums and just destroying them and it gets expensive, so I finally bought something that costs a lot of money, that I won't. But you know, they'll be destroyed too so...I'll just have to get new ones.
MAN: Where do you buy titanium?
SHAWN *chuckling*: NASA? No, it's kind of funny coz where I got 'em, it was out of the country you know. It was out of the United States so we had a big problem with people at check points and stuff, wondering what the hell these...you know, some dude wants these rounded titanium you know. Technically, technically you know, you could put a top and a bottom to it, light and fuse and it could be a bomb you know, so I went through pure hell to get those things done. A lot of people laugh and they're just like all this and that, but you know I think after doing the recording, I finally got the sound I was looking for you know. And also, with recording with Joey, you know, Joey is a pretty busy drummer and it fuckin' just full on rules you know. And we let him do his thing, and myself and the other percussionist, we stay a little bit more simpler. You know, we don't get fancy with triplets and all this rolling stuff dude, it's just you know, in your face, and that's how we make it work, so that's another reason behind that titanium you know. I need something to get that driving force straight out...you know...it does.
WOMAN: I read that you started in '95, the songs on the new album, or are some from the early days?
JOEY: Two songs from the old album, but I mean the band has (???) since then. We have a different singer from when out first album was out. I mean, I consider this album to be our first album. That thing was like a bit of like a marketing blueprint. Kind of like putting down ideas we threw out, you know, because at the beginning we needed to let people know we existed. But I mean there are two songs that exist from there, those songs are "Tattered & Torn" and "Gently"...no, excuse me..."Tattered & Torn" and "Only One".
MAN: Okay, what was that recording called?
JOEY: Uh, "Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat"
MAN: Was that like a demo or...?
JOEY: Demo CD
MAN: Okay
SHAWN: Soul searching
JOEY: That's basically what we're doing...
SHAWN: Yeah right. Lookin'
JOEY: Looking for the sound
SHAWN: And know it will not be in print any time soon
MAN: Look on the internet (chuckles)
SHAWN: Anybody fucking ripping us off and doing that stuff. It's not good.
(Shakes his head ominously)
SHAWN (cont): It's not cool at all.
MAN: We'll keep an eye on it.
WOMAN: We noticed that there are references to Clockwork Orange, and ultra violence and things that we've read about you, are you guys movie buffs?
JOEY: We are movie buffs, but those people who are making those references, are those people's own opinions that they've drawn from the band themselves. We haven't made those type of opinions. That's (not) what we're trying to do.
SHAWN: It's never been like that at all.
JOEY: They just made that shit up, and it's kind of got out of there.
WOMAN: Okay.
MAN: So you guys never said those words, those terms?
JOEY (as SHAWN shakes his head): Those words never came out of our mouths
WOMAN: So those words are just like a review?
JOEY: Review, review opinions and fucking shit
SHAWN: What was the second one?
WOMAN: What kind of movies are your favorite? Do you enjoy watching movies?
JOEY: Yeah, we like you know, "The Shining", "The Exorcist"...
SHAWN: Classics
JOEY: "Taxi Driver"
SHAWN (pointing to his head): We're more into this, you know. We're more into fuckin' some fuckin' real ass metal stuff you know. I mean we watch it all, but if it's up here we like it.
JOEY: We like stuff with substance, not a bunch of special effects necessarily.
WOMAN: You like things that make you think.
JOEY: Yeah.
WOMAN: Okay, are there any songs written for your second album?
JOEY: Yeah, yes there are, like three or four
SHAWN: And they're fucking bad
JOEY: Yeah, it's like fuck (intelligible)...like oh shit...
SHAWN: We got songs that we kept uh...we're the type of band that's already thinking about the sophomore album. You know, this isn't something we want to fail, and we actually did want to pull some really great songs aside, and we're going to rework from for the future, you know. Because that's important, you know. It's always got to be thinking about everything you know, so why blow the whole load at one? We got what we really wanted to do for the first album. We got plenty good stuff already.
Q: Do you have any titles in mind, or any titles for the future?
JOEY: "Carve", that's...actually one of the songs...we...but that's not going to be the title of the song you know (Note ~ I think he means the album)
SHAWN: Plus there is also a song called "Snap"
JOEY: Yeah, "Snap" might make it, but I mean all we have is songs, we don't have like titles. That's something that we call them, so you can't really quote me on that.
SHAWN: You call them that for now, but when they come out they...
JOEY:...Yeah, but we know a song title
SHAWN: Yeah totally, that "Carve" song will totally be different. It'll be reworked completely you know...
MAN: Cool...
WOMAN: Okay, and also another question, has anyone compared you to Mushroomhead from Ohio...
JOEY (a little loudly): Heard the name, just heard the name
WOMAN:...Okay...
JOEY: That's it...
WOMAN: Okay...
JOEY: We've never even seen, so we don't know what they're (mumbles, never even heard of them really), someone made like a comment that they maybe were maybe something like this (gestures, meaning they also wear masks), and then we saw something on the Internet like after we heard that, and it's like that's what they're comparing us to? What the fuck.
WOMAN: Their music is quite different, but...
JOEY: Worlds apart! Worlds apart..that's I don't see...I mean it's like, okay, if you compare us to Mushroomhead then fucking start comparing Absu and Emperor. I mean if people wear like all the black metal bands fuckin' wear the fuckin' same make up and got bullet belts and blood all over 'em, but I mean if your fuckin' into the music, you're going to fuckin' be able to differentiate what band is what.
WOMAN: And where did you come up with the idea for the outfits that you are wearing right now? The SKU numbers...
JOEY: Yeah, um...(pause, thinks)...yeah, that's a hard thing...
SHAWN: We don't really...to be honest with you (to Joey)...I'm sorry to jump in...
JOEY: It's okay
SHAWN (cont): Uh, the numbers, I will tell you that everybody fell into a number, they're not just systematically given out. Everybody got the number they wanted. As far as the barcodes, that's just something you have to figure out for yourself, it really means something to us. I don't want to go too much into it. And uh, as far as the boiler suits..man, you know it's like we're a fuckin' army you know. We're our own thing. We're not about our faces. We're not about our weight, our muscles, our fuckin' girlish figures..I don't give a shit. We're Slipknot. We come out to the stage, and we give you everything we got. I mean when we're done, and we take this shit off, first of all we don't even like going through life without this stuff on, but when we're..we do get off, I mean you guys are the fans. You guys are the ones buying the album. You're the ones keeping us on tour. You know I feel like we've given you everything when we go out there. We're hot as fuck. We're dying. We're losing oxygen. I feel like I'm thanking you personally by doing this, you know what I'm saying...
JOEY: Totally killing ourselves
SHAWN: I don't give a fuck what I look like, and I hope you guys don't either. It's all.about.the.music. Period.
JOEY: I mean a lot of people are like, treating their music as like a fuckin' fashion show. Showin' their faces and shit, and they all about posing even though it's not what fans call poser music like the Glam stuff. No, but there's like a lot of fuckin' posing going on in heavy metal music you know, about what trying to look like something like or like whatever you know, and I know that kind of sounds like a little weird because of what we got going on, but the thing is there's a million bands, a million people out there (and that includes the bands on Ozzfest or bands in the world, or bands that haven't made it yet that would love to show their fuckin' faces on that stage), and we don't even fuckin' do it.
SHAWN: Right, you know, I mean it's...
JOEY: If no one knows who the fuck we are, everyone would love to be out there fuckin' gloating and having all the attention. We don't give a fuck.
SHAWN: I mean, it's not it. We can't state it enough. I mean this is a whole different deal for us.
MAN: Right, these are your faces
JOEY: Yeah
SHAWN: I mean, this is it you know.
JOEY: I wear a mask. No one knows.
MAN: I know what you mean. I know what you mean. That's great.
SHAWN: We're (motioning to Joey) We're talking earlier today to someone who was interviewing us. Our DJ*, uh, he's got nine..I think ten...different gas masks and he literally believes that every one of them is a different one of his personality, which scares us, because you know, who the fuck is he then? You know what I'm saying? And when he's on stage, if he's not feeling one thing, he will change one and you will see a whole new person you know. He doesn't depend on those masks to live, but it's right in here (slaps his chest) all the way. And it's important, and everybody needs it, you know. And it's uh, it's uh, you know...it's what it is for us, you know I don't know about other people, I don't really care, but it's our deal.
MAN: Cool.
WOMAN: Also, in a nine man band it must be difficult to get along and agree on all the ideas, is that true?
JOEY: It never is. Believe it or fuckin' not, it is not a problem.
SHAWN: That's hard to believe (chuckles)...nine
JOEY: People ask it all the time, and I can't stress enough, that it's actually not a problem.
SHAWN: We know..the band knows where we want to be. The band knows what we want to do. We all know what's cheese. And there's some leading people that start the actual movement of the music. You know the root. There is a root part of the band. The main drummer. Two fucking guitar players. A bass player. Okay. They get it going, you know. Myself. The other percussionist. The DJ. The sampler. You know...we're set, we're layers, you know we come in later. I get inspired by watching him. I don't want to step on his dick you know. I watch where I can come. The singer, we don't just get up...he writes for now. You know what I'm saying. He gets the group. And what's so great is once the movement starts going it gets really exciting, and starts getting really brutal and if it's magic, that means the song has stayed, and that means like everybody has thrown in their little part, and then we all feel...we just get giddy about it...you know? Because if we don't get giddy about it...
JOEY: Feels wrong
SHAWN (cont): It's never...it's fuckin' out the door, we've played songs for two months in our practice place. Played 'em live once, and they already get shitcanned if they don't work...
JOEY: If they don't work live, it's like...
SHAWN: Out the door, and I'm talkin' about really good songs, you know.
JOEY: Yeah, it's like we think they're bad down in the basement, and if we play 'em live we know within fuckin' ten seconds if it's workin' or not...
Q: Right...
SHAWN: We spent all our days in cheesy bands man. We're here, in it to win it, you know what I'm sayin? We know what...we know where we want to be, and it's up here (pokes his head), and if it's not happenin' up here it's (clicks fingers) gone. It's done.
JOEY: It's not worth pursuing.
WOMAN: Yeah, so that kind of goes into the next question, do some of the other members contribute more to writing than others? Or is it...
JOEY: I would say it's pretty equal. I mean there's people that come up with ideas and stuff, but I mean if it wasn't for everyone there to play their fuckin' part and execute it right, then I mean, fuck, you know...
SHAWN: I mean...
JOEY: Everyone is just as important as everyone else. It just has to be like that...can't get in (?) right now
MAN: But like you said there's the route, and then the other members expand on the route that is set down...
JOEY: You have like out of a nine piece band, we have like six people that can play guitar and write riffs...
MAN: Oh...shit...okay
JOEY: Yeah
SHAWN: Everybody...
Q: So not just the guitarists who play guitar?
JOEY: Guitar was my first instrument*
MAN: Oh...shit...okay
SHAWN: And he gets up all the time (I'm not going to name any songs) in particular unless he wants to, but we have plenty of songs where he has gotten up and written the main riff. You know, then you got the guitar players of the band, who you know they're schooled, studied fuckin' guitar players. They're puttin' the real shit into it that come straight from his house. You know, he'll be layin' in bed, all of a sudden wake up, one hand on his dick and fuckin' answering machine playing a riff, you know what I'm saying...it's always Slipknot, all the time...and you think about that, even the sampler...you know this is where you were saying does everybody contribute? Yeah, he might just push buttons or something you know, but an 808 really can inspire everybody on the stage. There's that crucial moment where it just can be BOOM you know? BOOM. It's already "Wow". Now we're going into this, so you know everything is important, even if it's a fucking pfth (mimes pressing a button)
MAN: Right...right...
WOMAN: So what are your future plans, or are you planning on having any promo videos coming up?
JOEY: Yeah, we got a video coming out. We just shot a video for "Spit it Out" and it's going to be fucking bad...
WOMAN: When would that be aired?
JOEY: Probably about a month and a half. I don't know when they're going to air it man, that's the labels gig.
SHAWN: Much Music and...
JOEY:..All that yeah...
SHAWN: European MTV...
JOEY: Yeah, (??) Loud, and then the fuckin' Box, and all those Public Access channels to run videos and then overseas MTV...
MAN: Right..
JOEY: You know coz everything but MTV...everything but MTV here right, everything but that...
SHAWN: We're going to use every vehicle known to man. Don't happen? We don't give a fuck, you know? You as a fan, you'll find it, you'll like it, it's for you, you know. We'd like a massive amount of people to get it, but you know the political game, you know...we're not here to suck no dick.
JOEY: Went through it today
SHAWN: That's why you're on the bus with us man
(LAUGHTER)
WOMAN: Okay. Any final words?
(SILENCE)
MAN:..,Any final words?
JOEY: Come and see us on Ozzfest throw the shit down. Hope you like it. Album comes out June 29th*.
SHAWN: Awesome. Beautiful. Check out our webpages www.slipknot1.com, and www.slipknot2.com*.
SEE ALSO
Notes
ABS: I think Joey is referring to Abs Conditus
Joey evidently listened to A LOT of Norwegian black metal bands
"Our DJ": Sid Wilson - who at this point (1999) would only have been about 21 or 22 years old.
Joey and the guitar: As an infant he may also have dabbled with the piano
Album date: Not according to Corey. He told a crowd in Des Moines that the album was coming out in July. Paul had to come over and whisper that actually, it was coming out in June...
Slipknot2.com: I'm not sure this is still active.
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