Interview with Slipknot - September 27th 1999
John interviews Slipknot's: Joey (drums)
Joey: Hello?
John: Hey Joey.
Joey: Yeah. John?
John: Hey, what's up.
Joey: Nothing much dude what's going on?
John: Ah nothing really. So how's the tour going?
Joey: It's going really great. Well when we first started the tour back in august, it was like the first couple days, it was rough. But things got straightened out and it's cool now. The support has been overwhelming towards our band.
John: What about Ozzfest this year?
Joey: That was the best thing that could have happened with out band. That was our first major tour, and going out with all those bands and all that exposure, it was just great. What was funny was that when we were at Ozzfest we didn't know how popular we already were and with kids coming with Slipknot shirts, we didn't expect that, but that was great having the support from all our fans.
John: Well I think you guys have one of the best performances I've ever seen. And when Sean just gets that adrenaline pumping, he cracked his head open twice.
Joey: Yeah dude, he just gets into the music. The worst was when he did it in Seatle, WA.
John: Do you have any plans after the current tour?
Joey: Oh, yeah, they're going to do a whole other leg of this tour since it's been pretty successful from Oct 9th to Nov 15th. After Nov. 15th we're going to Europe with Machine Head and Amen, I believe. We're going to Europe like Nov. 20th.
John: Do you know if you're going to be in the Ozzfest lineup this year?
Joey: Uhh... don't know.
John: How was it to work with Ross Robinson?
Joey: Well the good thing about that is that he's our friend so there is no extra pressure on us. He's like a complete fucking dork metal head just like we are. It's just so easy to work with him and he got the best performances out of us that we never imagined possible. The whole record just came out good. He didn't really change any of it, like he does with other bands, and didn't manufacture fake sounds. He's just cool.
John: So you think you're going to work with him in the future?
Joey: Yeah, he's going to do our next album.
John: Do you think that Mate.Feed.Kill>Repeat will ever be re-released?
Joey: No, not at any point is that going to be released.
John: What about a video? Is there any word on a release on a video?
Joey: Well we had a video for "Spit it Out" and it's banned on MTV because they think that the band is morally wrong. So I don't see any future of the video being released on MTV or anything like that but we are going to put out a home video late next year that is going to have a bunch of different videos on it.
John: Yeah I heard about that. Have you ever tried getting the video on MuchMusic?
Joey: Well MuchMusic thinks it's violent, racist, and possible homophobic.
John: Oh, that really sucks.
Joey: All which are true of coarse.
John: (laugh)
Joey: (laugh)
John: Well can you describe the video a like bit?
Joey: It's so violent, it's our interpretation of The Shining live. There is nothing wrong with it, it's just these people in the fucking media. They just point figures and past judgements upon bands and rob the fucking video of what can be a good thing. It doesn't matter, we'll keep going out and playing live shows. When I heard the video was banned from MTV I thought it was a good thing because I didn't want it on there. Whether a band makes a video, it's not their choice who they want to play it.
John: Ok, here's a question that doesn't really fit in but many have asked me. What are the lyrics to the first track on your self-titled debut?
Joey: Oh, oh, yeah it's, "The whole thing, I think it's sick."
John: And Corey says that, right?
Joey: Yeah.
John: Also a couple fans asked if you are ever going to make your jumpsuits and/or masks available to purchase?
Joey: Masks -- don't know. Jumpsuits -- yes.
John: Everyone says how when each of you got a number it fit just right. How does the number 1 fit you?
Joey: Well it works for me because it's kind of a pivotal thing for being in the bands like have to lay all the drums and guitar work. I'm always the person that has to lay something down or be the cement of the band. That's where the 1 thing came from for me.
John: What about the mask that you chose?
Joey: I didn't want to be just held down by one thing, I wanted to keep the whole thing like all options open. Like it's not something you can be held down to. It can be beautiful, it can be ugly, it can be discussing, it can be all those things. Right now it's got like weird looking scars on it and shit. I'm marketing it up a lot different so it doesn't necessarily look the same. It's cool man I just want people to get out of it what they want.
John: This question has probably been asked way to much but just to get it out for the interview, do you think you will ever take off the masks?
Joey: When we play live and put out albums I see no reason why we should take them off, it's the way the band was built. I don't think the fans want to see us any other way, I think we'd be robbing the fans then.
John: How did you come about with the name, Slipknot?
Joey: There used to be a song called "Slipknot" from our first album, Mate.Feed.Kill>Repeat, and that is the song that we always opened with. It was just simple and sounded cool and it was pretty easier to remember. Like there is no actual meaning to the name and we don't even consider what an actual "Slipknot" is.
John: What's the best part of being in a band, for you?
Joey: Just like living out my dreams man, this is what I've wanted to do since I was 7 years old. We fucking love our fans. We make sure we stand outside our bus for like 3 hours to make sure our fucking fans are thanked.
John: How long have you been playing the drums?
Joey: I've played the drums since I was about 8 or 10 years old and I'm 24 now.
John: What got you into it?
Joey: Ummmm... Kiss, my peers are always playing music anywhere from The Cars to Led Zepplin to Black Sabbath. Basically my dad's record collection became mine. I'd just sit in front of the stereo and just learned, just listening and consuming. I just always liked fucking music. Like once I just started playing drums I never really had to learn how to play 'em, my friend had a drum set and I just went up and did it. I played guitar before I played drums.
John: So drums just came naturally?
Joey: Yeah cause I played guitar before I played drums. I was in a band and I was the guitar. The drummer at the time wasn't able to do the drums how I wanted it so I just went up and did it and after that I got stuck with playing drums. But I still play guitar and I write a lot of music for the band on guitar.
John: On the song, "Eyeless," who is Marlon Brando?
Joey: It's not necessary about Marlon Brando's eyes, it's a pivotal figure of Marlon Brando being the untouched guy that he is and eye's being such a strong word, because that song is about Corey's dad and how he doesn't know him. So we're using a figure that everyone knows to amplify the song and with California being such a big fucking state. Like we just use them as articles or examples of a picture. Like the whole motto is unless you're going to be strong enough or realize what the outcome has been in life, don't try to see something that your not going to fucking see.
John: Personally, for you, do you have a favorite song on the album?
Joey: Well it's probably "SiC," that's my favorite.
John: Yeah that's mine to, there is just so much emotion and power in that song.
Joey: The reason being, there is just something about all those riffs in that song are just some of the heaviest riffs put to tape. We always open our shows with that. I mean, I like all the songs equally, like our second would be "Surfacing" and I got soft spots for "Scissors" and "Eyeless." Also "Wait to Bleed," "Liberate," fucking I could go on forever man. But if I had to say one song, it would be "SiC."
John: What made you name it, s-i-c and not s-i-c-k?
Joey: Oh yeah, that means an era. It doesn't mean like the band is all fucked up. It's kinda like the sic as in an era and the sick as in gross. Like whatever you get out of the meaning for you, that's what it's supposed to mean. Like we're making a new word upon it.
John: Ah, that's it Joey.
Joey: Ok, cool, very nice talking to you. You obviously know the web site so I don't have to tell ya.
John: Yeah, slipknot2.com. I'd have to say that's one of the best looking sites I've seen on the web.
Joey: Thank you very much. Is this going to be on your web site?
John: Yeah bandindex.com.
Joey: bandindex.com?? Yeah I've been there before. Didn't you guys like run a poll like on whose the best new band or something?
John: Yeah Band of the Month.
Joey: Yeah, thanks for doing that for us.
John: No problem, Slipknot is one of my favorite bands.
Joey: Aww.. thank you very much man.
John: Ok well thanks for everything and have a good night.
Joey: Yeah you too man.
John: Ok, later.
Joey: Bye man.