CLOWN Says SLIPKNOT Won't Tour Like It Used To: 'I Don't Think We'll Be Able To Keep Up'

In a new interview for Kerrang! magazine's print issue, SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan spoke about the possibility of his band touring at a slower pace in the future. He said: "The only god we've ever known is to get on the road, play our music and tour. I always wanted that salvation in my day. Growing up in an alcoholic family, music was the gift that helped me get out. But I can promise you that we won't tour like we used to, because if we keep pushing like we used to, I don't think we'll be able to keep up."

Asked what that might mean for SLIPKNOT then, Crahan said: "I can see smaller venues, with more dates. Wouldn't it be great if we had seven days in New York City or London or anywhere, at a reasonably sized venue, and played every album in its entirety — with intros, outfits, production and everything from that time period? That could be cool. There are some songs we've never played live. Places we've never been. That's unacceptable."

Back in 2019, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor hinted that the physical demands of performing live with the group were taking their toll. "I mean, it's crossed my mind as the years have gone on," Taylor said after being asked by Metal Hammer how long he can continue the high-energy live performances with the band. "It's gotten harder to do this. You think about when the end is. No one thought we'd be doing it 20 years later."

He added: "If I just couldn't do it anymore, I'd just stop, but that doesn't mean that the band would stop. If I can't do it, then someone might be able to take my place.

"I've thought about it before: If the right person came around and the guys were into it, then I'll just head off. We can't shortchange anyone."

This past February, SLIPKNOT shared "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single, along with a Clown-directed video piece titled "Yen – Director's Cut (Bone Church)", which found the SLIPKNOT founding member refreshing footage from the band's "Yen" music video.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released last September via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Eight months ago, Taylor once again shot down the rumor that SLIPKNOT would break up after the release of "The End, So Far".

Ever since SLIPKNOT announced the title of its new LP in July, speculation had been rife that the name is a reference to the fact that the LP will mark the end of the band's recording career.

Taylor, who turned 49 in December, addressed the rumor during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "People have been talking about the end of SLIPKNOT since 2003, so it doesn't really matter. If I had a nickel for every time I've had to straighten fans out, I'd have a shit-ton of nickels, let's put it that way.

"Nothing sells albums like drama, let's put it that way, and even drama that doesn't even come from us; it just comes from the fans," he continued. "But at the same time, I kind of started saying onstage… explaining what the title is. It's the fact that it's… It's the end so far, which just means it's the end of one era and the start of the next.

"If you look at all of our favorite bands — [IRON] MAIDEN, METALLICA, [BLACK] SABBATH; you can even talk about JUDAS PRIEST; all these bands that we grew up on, loving; and our friends in ANTHRAX as well — every one of those bands has had different eras in their career; it's never been a straight line," Taylor explained. "There's no through line except for the members. And every era comes to a natural end and then it's the next one. So that's what the title reflects."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if he believes that each era in a band's trajectory usually corresponds to a major lineup change, Corey responded: "I do, but at the same time, you can still have the end of one era and the beginning of another with the same bandmembers. So, to me, it can be a reflection of the fact that you have different members or you're just moving in a different direction. For me, it's more about just letting the fans know that we will be back and to remind them that you just never know what you're gonna get with us."

Taylor continued: "I mean, every album has always felt different; it's always sounded different. And to me, I feel like this era is more about us dealing with the grief that we've had to deal with and now kind of getting to the point where we can now move on comfortably into the future, and it's not about that. It's a part of our history now; it's not our narrative. And now we can kind of move on and kind of see what the future holds for SLIPKNOT, musically where we can go now. Because of the way we've done things, we've set it up so we can go in any direction we want, and as long as it comes from the heart, it doesn't matter. So that's kind of the era, I think, that's being set up now. The next era will definitely be more of like a 'gloves off, let's just see what happens and go for it.'"