Shwn ‘Clown’ Crahan and Slipknot were scheduled to perform at the Download Festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire, U.K. this weekend (June 14-16), and before their set, Crahan opened up about what drives him as an artist and the future of Slipknot.
During his interview with ‘Kerrang!’, Crahan was asked about how the band prepared to play their first show back at the festival since the passing of bassist Paul Gray. That was all it took for Crahan to share his complex thoughts on the subject. “We take tonight as seriously as we did as the Astoria the first time we came over. It’s always been our way, it always will be our way,” said Crahan.
“I don’t give a f— about playing for the fans, I don’t give a f— about playing for myself, I don’t give a f— about the stage — any of it. All I care about is playing with my brothers,” expressed Crahan. “I hear the f—ing guitar, I hear the drums fills, I hear the vocals, and I’m fucking happy. This is what I signed up for. This is what I started. This is my dream. And it’s not just me, it’s my bros and me playing what we were born to do, little kids up on a f—ing basement stage.”
Although at first listen that might seem like a knock against Slipknot fans, Crahan clearing things up quickly explaining how it all comes full circle at the end of the day. “Now, if the kids are happy, I’m happy,” he said. “Is everybody happy with the stage? Cool. But I don’t do it for anybody else but the band I’m in.” He continued, “Because I do it for that band, I do it for myself, and because I do it for that band and myself, I do it for the kids, and they are the most important. But, see, we don’t lie to them. We do what we want first, and then we’re, like, ‘Check this out.’ We’re not, like, ‘Oh, what do you wanna hear? What do you want us to do?’ No, you trust us because we make good decisions.”
Although not pointedly asked about Slipknots next disc, Crahan took it upon himself to offer up some information, saying, “When I come back, when we come back, it will be time, you will understand, we will understand, and it will be right.” He concluded, “We’ll be the first band that could be off for five years and come back like we never were gone. So that’s what it’s all about.”
Watch the Kerrang! Podcast with Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan
