Slipknot percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan recently opened up about his early experiences with the legendary drummer Joey Jordison during a deep conversation with acclaimed producer Rick Rubin on the “Tetragrammaton” podcast.
Before Slipknot officially formed and took over the heavy metal world, most of the members were already active in various bands around the Des Moines, Iowa music scene. Shawn shared the story of the very first time he caught a young Joey Jordison playing a local gig, an encounter that left him completely speechless.
“I remember going out to Joey cause he got done with his set. He went outside to get some air and I walked outside, I was older than everyone and I could get a beer and I walked outside and I was just staring at him,” Crahan recalled (via Loudwire).
“We didn’t know each other and he looked at me and he’s like, ‘What?’ And I was like, ‘I just had to see if you were human.’ I was like, ‘Whoa, you are a real person. Wow, congratulations man. In my life I’ve never seen … I didn’t know you could play drums like that,’” he continued.
While the two musicians crossed paths that night, it took a little more time before Joey Jordison was officially brought into the fold. Shawn explained that the early vision for Slipknot involved employing three drummers. Although the iconic nine-piece lineup had not yet materialized, the sheer concept was enough to spark Joey Jordison‘s interest when late bassist Paul Gray invited him down to their studio for a jam session.
At the time, Shawn was living in Colorado but immediately drove back to Iowa just to see how the rehearsal would pan out. He played the material first, allowing the new recruit to observe before stepping behind the kit to make his own adjustments.
“What I remember most besides what he was doing was the incredible ability to retain what those guys had just played with me. It was like a tornado hit my life and I was just like, ‘I have no idea what’s happening right now.’ But I was so impressed and he had just heard it once. I was the drummer, disregarded, and taken to a level of insanity,” Crahan explained.
Despite the undeniable musical chemistry in the room, getting a firm commitment required a bit of force. Following the practice session, the percussionist confronted the drummer about officially joining the project.
“We got done with practice and I went outside to Joey and said, ‘Are you in or out?’ And he’s like, ‘I gotta think about it.’ I’m a pretty aggro person and I got right up in his face and I was like, ‘What do you mean you gotta think about it? There’s no thinking about it. You’re either in or you’re out. That’s not how this works son,'” Shawn stated.
The aggressive tactic worked, and the two forged a legendary musical partnership. Years later, Joey Jordison actually confessed that if he had not been allowed into the band that day, he would have stolen the three-drummer concept to build his own project around his personal playing style.
As the podcast interview came to a close, Rick Rubin asked about what has changed within the band over the decades. This prompted a moment of heavy reflection regarding the deep bond the two musicians shared before the drummer’s tragic passing.
“I miss my dudes. Joey used to get on me man. He was the one and he made me the best I could ever be. I like to think I did that to him. I used to say we were nemeses because we always just argued, but it’s not until someone’s gone that you realize they bring the best out of you.”
Joey Jordison served as the driving rhythmic force for Slipknot from 1995 until his departure in 2013, which he later revealed was heavily tied to his battle with transverse myelitis. The highly influential drummer passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46.
