Slipknot’s Clown: “We Bleed Through Our Art”

Words: Amit Sharma Photo: Amy Harris

Slipknot are releasing a new movie! Clown takes us inside The Nine’s latest venture…

On December 5, 2015, Mexico City became the loudest in the world. 40,000 rabid metalheads descended upon Centro Dinámico Pegaso to watch the most dangerous band of them all headline their very own carnival of horrors. The inaugural Knotfest México footage was collated and edited by Slipknot founding member Clown, having been set for release as a one-night-only spectacle (out September 6) in the form of live documentary Day Of The Gusano (‘gusano’ is Spanish for worm/maggot, in case you were wondering). Here’s #6 chatting through what lies in store…

It was a long time coming…

“Until this film, we’d never played in Mexico. So it was a big event for us because we have a lot of fans there and it’s discouraging when, as a band, you can’t get out to somewhere. And it’s all documented – showing just how powerful it was for these fans to finally get what they love. This film is dedicated to the people that are prepared to wait for something they need in their lives, and shows just how important rock’n’roll is. It was a get-together that took over 15 years.”

Mexican fans go to extraordinary lengths…

“We had some surreal moments – there was one man who had sold his car to get tickets! I heard about kids saving for six months to get in. That doesn’t sit on my conscience well at all. I thought I’d give these people the time of day in the documentary.”

It’s the first live release with the new line-up…

“I think how much [deceased bassist] Paul Gray would’ve loved to have been there at Mexico City. And the same goes for [ex-drummer] Joey Jordison. I have dedicated my life to Slipknot. I am the fucking Clown. The world can’t change that. But I don’t have control over how people live or die. All I can do is continue my life – and I don’t expect anything less than the best, so we bleed through our art.”

That moment in the set looks insane!

“Spit It Out is always the most phenomenal thing to witness, because of the participation from the Maggots. Everywhere we go, they decide whether they want to get down. And that’s okay – if you don’t want to do it, I’ve got your back. But when you watch this bit, you will see how the people of Mexico deliver in this fucked-up reality we call rock’n’roll.”

Unity in (sic)ness…

“The biggest thing I remember about the set is the sheer unity of the people. There’s nothing like seeing everyone in the audience sing every line outside of America in a place where there’s a language barrier. Kids memorising words they can barely speak, jumping together… there was a massive connection. And that’s what we do: gather a load of people and put them into one train of thought. Even though it’s so violent, kinetic, powerful and real, like a tidal wave… it actually brings peace. In this world we live in, I want to spread that idea of unity more.”

Check out the trailer below, and head on over to Dayofthegusano.com to find out ticketing info. Don’t miss Day Of The Gusano on September 6 for one night only!

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