When Slipknot’s Clown Cut His Face Open On Stage

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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The entire stage setup for a band like Slipknot feels like being in the middle of a war zone half the time. Aside from just the pyro that they have onstage, these guys seem to tap into some of the most primal forms of metal imaginable, including more than a few scars to show for it along the way. When you’re unleashing Hell onstage, Slipknot’s own Shawn Crahan aka Clown learned about knowing your surroundings the hard way.

During one of their early tours, Corey Taylor talked about Clown playing the song “Eyeless” and getting a little too close to some of the metal equipment, headbutting one of the drum risers and cutting open his face in the process.

Aside from the irony of playing a song called “Eyeless,” Corey had mentioned Clown being in really bad shape, having to be courted off the stage to an ambulance and escorted to the back of the venue, saying “Clown goes ‘dude, it’s the craziest thing, after I come to…I look up and I’m watching Slipknot play…and they shot me full of painkillers so I’m thinking ‘F*ck our band is awesome.’”

Things got slightly less awesome once Mr. Crahan visited the hospital, needing to get over 20 stitches to repair the damage that he did to his face. Per Corey:

So he [Clown] comes back and I think it was like fuckin, it was a ridiculous amount of stitches in his face, like 27 in total. He had like 12 on the outside and 15 on the inside. That’s like a gunshot wound for fuck’s sake.

That didn’t stop him from getting back on the road and dealing with some nasty clientele, with Corey saying:

“And he’s walking around with a fist-sized ball of gauze on his face. And then this one guy shows up, he’s one of our friends and he’s also one of the grossest people that I’ve ever seen. Now Clown’s not a big fan of germs to begin with. He spots us and walks right up to Clown…and then the asshole licks his wound.” 

For all of the mayhem that gets stirred up during a Slipknot concert though, here’s hoping Clown has learned to be a little more careful with the headbanging (and the keg bashing). Because if he’s not, you might be in for a Slipknot show with GWAR levels of gore. 

Video: Slipknot’s Clown Tears His Bicep Onstage, Missed Welcome to Rockville Performance

Watch Corey Taylor Explain How Clown Suffered An Insane On Stage Injury That Required 20+ Face Stitches: