Slipknot’s Clown: the world is filthy and I’m not going to stop wearing a mask

Slipknot's Clown onstage at Donington in 2019 — (Image credit: Katja Ogrin/Getty Images)

Slipknot's Clown has revealed that the band wore facemasks to protect each other from COVID during studio sessions for their next album.

Speaking with Forbes, Clown says "When we were in the studio if we were in the control room and around the engineers that worked for the studio, we had to wear masks. If we were in the live room where we were recording around each other, and we had all been tested, we didn’t have to wear masks.

"But, if an employee was in there we’d have to put them on. Now I think about nine months ago and it was even more restrictive, so it’s been very challenging to say the least."

Clown goes on to reveal that he has no plans to stop wearing a mask, whatever happens with COVID.

"I’ve been in this business 25 years, and people are filthy all over the world," he says. "So when I had to be in the studio and I was asked to put on a mask, it didn’t bother me, it was business as usual.

"I mean I’m glad at least the majority of the world has been profoundly open to the idea of, 'hey when you’re going to be out in public there’s a chance you could be around someone with pneumonia, the flu, or just a nasty cough, why not wear a mask to just protect yourself?'

"We live in a filthy world, and we live in a world where people don’t wash their hands, they wipe their nose and they open the door and then you touch it."

Elsewhere in the interview, Clown talks about the success of Slipknot's whisky and his own line of medical cannabis products, how Knotfest has changed over the years, and how Slipknot are preparing for their return to the stage next month.

Slipknot: Knotfest Roadshow 2021 North American tour dates

Sep 25: Knotfest Iowa, National Balloon Classic Field, Des Moines, IA
Sep 28: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
Sep 29: American Family Insurance Amphitheater, Milwaukee, WI
Oct 01: Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, IN
Oct 02: DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
Oct 03: Darien Lake Amphitheater, Darien Center, NY
Oct 05: St. Josephs Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse, NY
Oct 08: Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
Oct 09: XFINITY Theatre, Hartford, CT
Oct 10: PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Oct 12: BB&T Pavilion, Camden, NJ
Oct 13: Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA
Oct 15: S&T Bank Music Park, Burgettstown, PA
Oct 17: PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC
Oct 19: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
Oct 20: iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL
Oct 22: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC
Oct 23: Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA
Oct 24: Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Pelham, AL
Oct 26: Walmart AMP, Rogers, AR
Oct 28: Germania Insurance Amphitheater, Del Valle, TX
Oct 29: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
Oct 30: Dos Equis Pavilion, Dallas, TX
Nov 01: Isleta Amphitheater, Albuquerque, NM
Nov 02: Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.