"People would vomit when they saw it": Shawn 'Clown' Crahan on the worst injury he ever sustained with Slipknot
· louderBy Liz Scarlett
( Metal Hammer )
published 5 November 2024
Percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan reveals how he lost 25 percent of his arm and opens up about that mysterious Slipknot album from 2008 that's still yet to be released
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan has revealed the worst injury he ever managed to receive with Slipknot.
In a new Q&A feature with Vulture, where the percussionist discusses everything from the band's days of defecating on stage to his "nastiest" mask, Clown reveals that he has sustained "a lot" of injuries whilst performing.
The one that affected him the most however, was the time he tore an arm muscle, leading to prolonged pain that still bothers him to this day.
"The one that’s really done me in was when I ripped my bicep in half on stage by hitting a keg with a bat", he says. "If you know anything about a bicep, it’s basically two wires, one on each side that holds the muscle in place — kind of like rubber bands that connect up by your shoulder."
The musician continues, "I ripped both those fuckers. So my bicep was actually on my forearm. Like, it just dropped down and my skin fell down with it. People would vomit when they saw it."
Expanding on his recovery process, he adds, "I had surgery, and I lost 25 percent of that arm. I’ll go to grab something on the top shelf in the fridge, think I’ve got it, and then whatever it is will just fall. It hurts. I have swelling on my right side where this dissolvable screw was. Out of all the injuries, that one really is a daily reminder."
Elsewhere, when questioned about the band's "best unreleased material", Clown expands on Slipknot's mysterious Look Outside Your Window album, which was originally recorded during the sessions for 2008’s All Hope Is Gone.
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"Someone recently brought up the album Look Outside Your Window", he says. "It was a piece of art Corey Taylor, Jim Root, Sid Wilson, and myself created in 2008. We made it up the hill from the studio that we recorded All Hope Is Gone in, in Perry, Iowa.
"No one believes that it even exists, or that it’s ever going to come out. I’ve always talked very highly of it and I’ve always said that you will never hear Corey Taylor sing like this. It’s just a whole different approach in my mind. Recently, I approved all the art. I’ve also worked really hard to get it mixed and mastered."
Earlier this year, Clown said that the only reason the album hadn't been released yet is because of its "timeless" quality.
Speaking to Andy Hall, he said: “It can be released 10 years ago, 10 years from now, today, so on and so forth."
Noting how the repeated delays for releasing the project has become something of a running joke within the Slipknot camp, he continued: “I sort of put my foot down because I’m tired of hearing everybody – not the fans or yourself, but guys in the band that are on it.
“It’s been so long now that they just laugh. And I laugh too, but I do believe we’re gonna get it out this year.”
Slipknot will continue their 2024 Here Comes The Pain tour, celebrating 25 years of their debut album, on November 8 with a show in Mexico. They'll later head to Europe from December 5, before performing at a run of UK dates, including at London's 02 Arena on December 20.
Check out the 2024 dates below:
Nov 08: Guadalajara Calle 2, Mexico
Nov 09: Mexico City Parque Bicentenario, Mexico
Dec 05: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Dec 06: Dortmund Westfalenhalle, Germany
Dec 08: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Dec 90: Leipzig Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Germany
Dec 11: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Dec 12: Paris Accorhotel Arena, France
Dec 14: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Dec 15: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Dec 17: Manchester Co-op Live Arena, UK
Dec 18: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Dec 20: London O2 Arena, UK
In 2025, they'll perform at a number of a festivals, including Sweden Rock on June 4, Rock IM Park on June 6, Rock Am Ring on June 7 and much more. See the dates below:
Jun 04: Sweden Rock Solvesborg, Sweden
Jun 06: Rock IM Park Nuremberg, Germany
Jun 7: Rock AM Ring Nurburg, Germany
Jun 08: Heavy Weekend Nancy, France
Jun 10: Expo Plaza Hannover, Germany
Jun 13: Novarock Nickelsdore, Austria
Jun 14: Greenfield Interlaken, Switzerland
Jun 17: Ferrara Summer Festival Ferrara, Italy
Jun 21: Copenhell Copenhagen, Denmark
Jun 23: Waldbuhne Berlin, Germany
Jun 25: LDLC Arena Lyon, France
Jun 26: Rock Fest Barcelona, Spain
Jun 28: Resurrectionfest Viveiro, Spain
Liz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.
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