SLIPKNOT's CLOWN Talks About DIMEBAG's Death

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) has admitted to Australia's Beat magazine that while the group may have good intentions with their non-conformist attitude, it is possible that some may take their message the wrong way.

"I know my responsibility," he said. "I know what's happening to my friends out in rock 'n' roll. I know what is life. I know what is death. I know I am responsible for every maggot (fan). I am responsible for my actions and my art. I live for my art and I die for my art. I know that we are in a powerful position, but every band has that potential, not just my band. There would be bands that would be considered much more threatening than the one I'm in. Britney Spears for one, you think she's not a threat, to all the crazy little girls out there? You know what I'm sayin'?

"I've been doing this for ten years, slave to the grind for this thing. Everyone in the band has the equivalent to a PHD as far as I'm concerned. We take it very, very seriously. When I look out I know that I'm responsible for my actions and the way we are. I won't apologize for what we've done in the past, because I wouldn't be here, better, today without learning from this direct experience. As I'm growing so are people and we're going to destroy what has already been laid before us, what we're set to make think. I'm here to go elsewhere, if that makes sense."

Asked how the death of "Dimebag" Darrel Abbott has affected him, Crahan replied, "I'd be a liar if I didn't say I was concerned every day of my life, but I was concerned before that happened. What am I supposed to do, quit? I represent them; I'm here to help them. Hopefully someone like myself can prevent something like that ever happening. Hopefully our fans want to talk, hopefully they want to work it out, hopefully they reach out. You have to understand that we live in a very severe world, okay, I wonder if people think about that when they think about Dimebag, I wonder if they think about how brutal this world is to people we don't even know. But because famous people and other people are victims, everyone does stop and pay attention a little bit."

According to Crahan, SLIPKNOT aims to help people.

"Isn't that what bands do, aren't we here to lift the emotional strain, pain and whatever else, aren't we here to help that? Aren't we the vibration, as they say? The beat, the rhythm? Aren't we here to ease that clot in your head, that noise that won't leave your ears, that those prisons become, when the headache is too much for this world, because there's just so much pain and hurt? Yeah, we're extreme. I want your attention. As I have always said, we are the envelope and I'm pushing it to the most extreme. I'm not interested in taking your money, or letting you give me ego because I'm a rock star. I'm here because I have to be here and I'm trying to help. So was Dimebag and now that's no more. And I don't really know what else to say, because it hurts so much."

Read the rest of the interview at this location.