SLIPKNOT ANNOUNCE FIRST SHOWS POST PAUL GRAY's DEATH

Iowa nu metal heroes SLIPKNOT have announced the bands first live festival shows since the tragic death of bassist Paul Gray.
FROM SLIPKNOT MYSPACE:
Slipknot are proud to announce that they will return in 2011 to headline the UK’s Sonisphere Festival. The weekend event at the world famous Knebworth site is set for Friday July 8th- Sunday July 10th.


Expect the band to bring an incendiary show to Sonisphere, as the icons prepare to honour Paul Gray’s memory and musical career with their Knebworth appearance. Slipknot say, “We’re looking forward to spending our summer in Europe. This tour is about us and our fans. It’s about celebrating the life of our brother, Paul and his legacy. The door is neither open nor closed. This tour is about burning down that door. See you this summer.”


The band hope you will come join them in Europe next Summer to celebrate and remember their brother, Paul Gray.


Check back soon for info on tickets and on sale dates.

Slipknot have officially been confirmed to perform on September 25th at Rock In Rio! Slipknot will be playing on the World Stage alongside Metallica and many others. Slipknot’s show at Rock in Rio 2011 marks the band’s return to Brazil. One of the acts most requested by heavy metal fans on Rock In Rio’s social networks, the band’s first and only performance in the country was in 2005, a year after the first edition of Rock in Rio Lisbon. Tickets are going fast for Rock in Rio, so if you plan to make it get yours now right here!


SLIPKNOT is the first band to be announced for GMM2011! The Iowa metallers have been a crowd favorite at Graspop for many years. Not surprisingly, they have been invited for the fourth time in a row to do what they do best: whip the masses into a frenzy. If you’ve seen this outfit at work, you will know that Slipknot stands for a unique combination of pummeling songs and a crushing stage show. Slipknot promises to destroy Benelux with their performance on Sunday 26 June.

Graspop Metal Meeting 2011 will be held in Dessel festival park over the weekend of Friday 24 June to Sunday 26 June. With leading bands from nearly every metal and rock subgenre and a lineup that spans several generations of heavy music, there’s something for metalheads of all ages. Graspop Metal Meeting features, 70+ bands, four stages and lots of fringe events to boot, including signing sessions, an outdoor festival fair, an indoor metal market and more. Check back soon for more info.
FROM NOISECREEP:
Since the untimely passing of bassist Paul Gray earlier this year, Slipknot have been surrounded by the question of whether they would press on without one of their founding members. The simple answer is yes -- at least in terms of playing big overseas festivals next year, as the band has been confirmed for Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium in June, UK's Sonisphere in July and Brazil's Rock in Rio in September.

In a recent interview with NME, frontman Corey Taylor said he believed Gray "would want us to keep going," later adding, "There are some moments that are more somber than others. But when you are here to entertain, you don't wanna spend too much time in melancholy. There is time to reflect, there is time to celebrate, and for me, dealing with loss, it's important to celebrate life and not revel in death, to be honest."

Now the question of new material from the groundbreaking band seems to be where things get confusing, or at least where there might be division among Taylor and drummer Joey Jordison. Since the loss of Gray, who died from an accidental overdose of morphine, the two have given varying updates on the band, with Jordison holding steadfastly that a new record was in the works, saying "I think it's gonna be a really, really great record because everyone's really involved in the process."

Taylor, who initially said he doubted the future of Slipknot, responded to Jordison via a Twitter update denying any songwriting. "Like I said, shows? Yes. Album? No. Baby steps, people. For the fans."

The apparent lack of communication and public disagreements from one of metal's biggest acts have many wondering about the band's future. No matter how you analyze the quotable chatter, the fact remains: We may be a long way off from a new Slipknot record.



Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-RIP PAUL GREY- \m/ -l-