Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has opened up about the band’s early days, recalling how the group once opened for a jazz band in their hometown.
If there’s one thing that just about every musician has to experience, it’s the trial of performing before an audience who doesn’t really “get” you.
Why, we’ve heard how the likes of Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar once performed for a metal festival crowd, only to receive widespread hate after dishing out a Grateful Dead cover.
However, it seems as though even some of the world’s biggest names aren’t immune to divided audiences earlier in their career, with Corey Taylor of Slipknot recalling how the group once supported a jazz outfit.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1’s Daniel P Carter recently (via NME), Taylor revealed how the intriguing gig took place in their hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.
Check out ‘Solway Firth’ by Slipknot:
“It was a gig-trade because Clown owned a bar in Des Moines,” he explained. “They all, like, stared at us like we had shit in our hands and had thrown it at them. They were so stunned with the madness.
“And then driving home, both vans broke down in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of winter. So some of us stayed, some of us walked to call a tow truck. That’s what you did.
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“And I can remember constructing cardboard ventilation for the heater just to get some back. We all huddled our gear as close as we can to this weird cardboard ventilation system – it was brutal. And then having to get up the next day and go to work… I mean, dude…”
Of course, while Corey Taylor didn’t say when exactly this gig took place, it might not be a terribly surprising occurrence for fans of their earlier work, with 1996’s Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. demo featuring a mix of styles ranging from heavy metal to jazz and funk.
In related news, fans are still wondering when they’ll get a chance to catch the iconic band live considering that Slipknot’s Aussie tour with Metallica was supposed to take place last month.
Sadly, Metallica revealed in September that their Aussie dates would be postponed while frontman James Hetfield entered a treatment program in order to confront his struggles with addiction.
At this stage, there’s no word as to when these dates will be rescheduled, though Slipknot have said they’re hoping to bring their live show down to Australia regardless at a similarly undetermined date.
Check out an example of Slipknot’s early work with ‘Confessions’:
