Korn’s Davis comes to grips with pain of Daddy

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Frontman Jonathan ready for emotion of singing song about his abuse

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis says he’s ready to revisit his painful past as he gears up to perform controversial song Daddy on tour.

They’ll mark the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album by playing it in full on the road with Slipknot – including the song he wrote about being sexually abused at the hands of a family friend, then not being believed by his parents.

Davis tells Alternative Press: “It’s been 20 years. I’ve come to grips with what’s happened to me, and everything else. You know what? Fuck it – I’m going to play it. I’m a lot more mature than I was doing that record in the beginning. I need to do it for the fans, too.”

He adds: “It’ll be really special. Daddy has only been played live twice, and some others never, so I think it’ll be pretty cool.”

Now he’s a parent himself, Davis has a different view of his career. He says: “It’s a lot of sacrifice. I tell every musician that wants to be a big rock star to be careful what you wish for. When you’re young, it’s amazing and fun – but once you have kids and a family it’s tough. Nobody likes watching their kids cry, knowing you’re not going to see them for a month. That just fucking sucks.”

But he’s looking forward to the Prepare For Hell tour with Slipknot and King 810, including a run of UK shows in January. “We’ve played with Slipknot before, but we’ve never done a tour with them,” he says. “They’re a really good band. I love their whole vibe. Those guys are all fucking crazy – like certifiable crazy. We both play heavy music but in different ways, so I think fans are going to get a really cool show.”

Korn’s latest release, 2013’s The Paradigm Shift, was reissued in June as a World Tour Edition complete with live tracks.

Prepare For Hell UK dates

Jan 14: Dublin 3Arena

Jan 16: Sheffield Motorpoint Arena

Jan 18: Glasgow SSE Hydro

Jan 19: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Jan 20: Manchester Arena

Jan 22: Liverpool Echo Arena

Jan 23: London Wembley SSE Arena

Jan 24: Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

Jan 26: Nottingham Capital FM Arena

Jan 27: Birmingham Barclaycard Arena