(Omaha)-Fire plumes. Mosh pits. Hydraulic trap sets floating high above the crowd. And masks. Don’t forget those enigmatic masks for which the band is known.
Grammy Award-winning Slipknot performed tracks from their latest album “.5: The Gray Chapter” in Omaha Thursday night. It’s the heavy metal band’s first North American tour without bassist Paul Gray, who died of an overdose in May 2010. Frontman Corey Taylor said the band’s emotional last few years have culminated in what’s been reviewed as perhaps the group’s best album.
The Prepare for Hell tour, with KORN and King 810, kicked off in California last month. One element conspicuously missing from Slipknot’s performance was Sid Wilson’s epic stage dives. Just three weeks ago the disc jockey underwent surgery to remove lumps from either side of his chest. The diagnosis was gynecomastia, a condition similar to that of breast cancer in women. Wilson said the results were benign but he still harbors internal stitches and has been ordered to tone down his onstage antics.
“When you see me, realize that I am having to restrain myself from doing such and I apologize ahead of time,” he said. The group’s turntablist said there’s plenty of fire, dangerous moving equipment and, for those not necessarily hot for metal music, enough entertainment to satisfy even the toughest of critics.
Wilson said he calls Omaha his “resident city,” a favorite spot for him to showcase his other talents when not on tour with Slipknot. “When I come here, it feels more like my hometown as an entertainer just because I used to come here, almost every weekend, and play at clubs and concerts and parties,” he added.
Fans can hear the full interview with Sid Wilson and JaMazz on www.MavRadio.fm.
-Jodeane Brownlee, faculty adviser
