SLIPKNOT Percussionist CLOWN: 'I Have A Ph.D. In Rock And Roll'

February 2, 2009

Adam Graham of The Detroit News recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the road again:

"One thing I've learned in this business is No. 1, I tour. That's what I do. Records are great, videos are great, interviews are great, all that stuff is great. But the biggest extension of your art is to be able to share it with the world, and I've always believed that world domination means you're willing to get out of your house in Des Moines, Iowa, and take your disease, your pain, your art as far as... Russia. SLIPKNOT just played Russia. We've been doing this 10 years, and we'd never been to Russia. We had just under 12,000 people show. That's when the reality behind your art really comes true."

Falling backward into metal:

"I'm not really even a metalhead. That doesn't mean I don't like it, it just means I come from a whole different scene and a whole different way of thinking. I was going to go to college. I wanted to teach art history. I wanted to paint and do photography and pottery. I'm kind of a Renaissance guy; I've got my hand in a little bit of everything. When painting isn't working, I move to photography. When photography's not working, I'm writing songs. When songs aren't working, I'm writing some poetry or some short stories."

Hands-on learner:

"The last 10 years has been nothing but an honor and a learning experience. I tell people every day who want to point their finger at us that I have a Ph.D. in rock and roll. You know what I mean? I've got 10 years under my belt of constant touring. I can tell you about the stage. I can tell you about the semis. I can tell you about per diem. I can tell you about recording. I can tell you about lyrics. I can tell you about art, photography, video, from film to HD to mini DV. The list goes on and on and on and on and on, with what we've had to fill our minds with. From winning Grammys, to winning best video, to people going crazy to our music, from lawsuits, to deaths to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You name it."

Read the entire interview at this location.

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