Current Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has been hooked on the band’s music since the moment he heard it during his formative years, so naturally, he was thrilled upon being invited to Los Angeles in 2013 to try out as a replacement for Joey Jordison.
In 2009, The young percussionist had previously filled in for his famous father Max Weinberg in Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band.
He then signed on with hardcore legends Madball in 2010, but left after a few months due to lifestyle differences. By the end of that year, Weinberg had taken up drum duties in punk band Against Me!, where he stayed until joining Slipknot in 2014.
In a recent interview with the Danny Wimmer Presents Power Hour, Weinberg discussed how no amount of touring experience could have gotten him ready for his first show with Slipknot in October of 2014, saying:
“I’ve said it before, but it’s like nothing…. I could have had years and years and years to prepare for my first Slipknot show. There was truly nothing that could prepare me for that first moment when the curtain goes up, we’re in our masks, we’re in our outfits, everybody’s there. That was like the turnkey moment,” the drummer reflected.
“Especially after a year of knowing. I’m waiting for that moment, what’s gonna happen for this first show? What’s it going to smell like? What’s it gonna feel like? All this stuff, and just trying to best prepare myself for that moment. And there was no preparing for that moment.
It really was, as the guys had described to me, every night is, like, you’re just dropped out of an airplane and you just have to figure it out. And so that first night certainly was special in that regard. And I feel like we’ve just built it over the last 10 years.”