Few bands can say they’ve been injured onstage as many times as Slipknot. The Iowan eighteen-eyed nightmare fetus have done everything from setting themselves (and each other) on fire to breaking their own (and each others’) bones. But unfortunately, even the maniacs in Slipknot are human, which is why percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan was forced to miss the band’s Welcome to Rockville performance last night, Thursday, November 11th.
In a social media post, Clown explained his absence with his usual mixture of heartfelt apology and gratitude for his fans’ understanding, writing, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you look close enough you can pinpoint the exact frame where clown completely tore the bicep tendon from the radial tuberosity with proximal retraction, proximal to the coronoid fossa of the humerus.
“With that being said, you may have realized I was not on stage in Florida with my brothers and my culture tonight. For this fact I am saddened.
“I had surgery today in Los Angeles, everything went great and I am recovering peacefully.
“I can’t express how happy and blessed I am to have been able to come back to touring after all that we as a community have been through the last couple years. And I promise we will see you all very soon. Thank you.”
Clown isn’t lying, either — it’s pretty obvious that when he strikes the keg and takes a knee, he’s in a moment of significant discomfort. What’s awesome is that he keeps going for a little bit afterwards, because he’s a hardworking psychopath entirely dedicated to his craft.
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Everyone at The Pit raises a glass to Clown and wishes him a speedy and complete recovery. How Clown’s bicep will affect future Slipknot shows remains to be seen, but if any dude in metal has earned a few nights to heal up, it’s him.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
