Heavy titans and cultural phenomenon SLIPKNOT have announced the North American portion of their Here Comes The Pain Tour. This year, the nine are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut album, Slipknot, which catapulted the band back in 1999.
In addition to recently announced dates across the globe, the Here Comes The Pain Tour, produced by Live Nation, includes arena plays nationwide this Summer. Highlights include New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, Austin’s Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky’s young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners, Knocked Loose. Orbit Culture and Vended are confirmed as support on select dates.
Knotfest.com’s artist presale tickets are available today at 12PM ET here. Tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, May 3 at 10 AM Local here. See below for a full list of dates including Slipknot’s homecoming performance at Knotfest Iowa in which the band will play a unique set drawing heavily from their 1999 debut, celebrating 25 years of the self-titled album along with their fans.
There actually was a time when Slipknot and the maggots (the loving name for their fans) did not completely rule the world. 25 years ago, the Des Moines band were just some guys trying to get their new LP noticed– a record that would start their metamorphosis into the most crucial band of the 21st century. That record would change rock as we know it, measuring success with a yardstick bigger than music, one for the influence on youth culture writ large. But these faceless demons from middle America would not only capture the hearts of the youth, they would help guide their tastes, and challenge them and their kin towards a new future.
Released on June 29th, 1999, Slipknot’s self-titled debut was a smash hit with critics and an instant classic with fans. It was, and is, a molotov cocktail signaling a revolution– embracing a creative direction that eschewed metal traditions in favor of fresh ideas. While the jaw-clenching riffs coupled with Ross Robinson’s venomous production were crucial to the album’s success, it was the care and attention to detail in the songcraft that moved the needle from “great” to “benchmark.” Not too shabby for a bunch of guys that only hoped to be heard.
“We loved what we did with the first record but we didn’t even know if there was gonna be anything after that,” recalls guitarist Jim Root. “We just wanted people to hear it. Selling out of records and shows, having successful tours– those are goals for any band. But the dream scenario in some ways, came true for us.”
In the years following, Slipknot’s popularity nipped at the heels of elder statesmen and even the band’s heroes, eventually navigating this brave new world with unending drive, fresh ideas and a bloodlust for odometer clicks. Tens of billions of streams and tens of millions of subscribers and followers later, the accolades tell the story: 64 award nominations and 27 wins including a Grammy for “Before I Forget“ from Vol. 3. A seemingly endless number of tour dates. Headlining slots at some of the biggest festivals in the world such as Download, Rock In Rio, Hellfest, Wacken and many more. Not to mention RIAA certifications by the truckload– 14 platinum certifications and 40 gold across more than 30 million in record and video sales.
In addition, Slipknot positioned themselves for success with the creation of their own festival Knotfest in 2012, a traveling, multi-stage and experiential event that has appeared 28 times across several countries and locations. The festival has since spun off into a successful entertainment media hub – Knotfest.com, which became a juggernaut of its own making, giving a platform to young freethinkers and like-minded artists.
All of Slipknot’s achievements have helped them claim their rightful seat as pioneers and thought leaders, establishing them as a generational talent– loved by parents AND their children alike. And of course with all those incredible live performances, all that influence, and all that history of playing all those incredible SONGS, Slipknot has only attracted the most dedicated of fans, reaching all the way back to that fateful self-titled effort.
Slipknot is approaching this 25th anniversary by making the conscious decision to connect to fans as closely as possible, in a similar way to how they encountered Slipknot all those years ago. “Every time I’ve walked on stage, it’s never been about how many people have been there because my culture, the maggots, always show up,” says founding member Shawn “clown” Crahan with a smile.
“But as we’ve grown as a band, we have had fewer and fewer of those intimate, personal moments, trading them for massive ones. So we’re gonna make it more personal on the anniversary, but how remains to be seen. Just get ready to have your face kicked in. Because we just do what we do, spread that maggot culture – that disease. And you’ve been infected.”
SLIPKNOT LIVE DATES 2024:
May 12: Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville
May 19: Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival
Aug 06: Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center *
Aug 07: Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake *
Aug 09: Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena *
Aug 10: Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion *
Aug 12: New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
Aug 14: Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion *
Aug 15: Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center *
Aug 17: Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena *
Sep 01: Pryor, OK – ROCKLAHOMA
Sep 07: Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre #
Sep 08: Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Styles Resorts Amphitheater #
Sep 09: Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life
Sep 11: Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater #
Sep 13: Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome #
Sep 15: Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre #
Sep 17: Austin, TX – Moody Center #
Sep 18: Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion #
Sep 21: Des Moines, IA – Knotfest Iowa at Waterworks Park #
Oct 11: Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
Oct 19: São Paulo, BR – Knotfest Brasil
Nov 08: Guadalajara, MX – Calle 2
Nov 09: Mexico City, MX – Parque Bicentenario
Dec 05: Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
Dec 06: Dortmund, DE – Westfalehallen
Dec 08: Stuttgart, DE – Schleyerhalle
Dec 09: Leipzig, DE – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
Dec 11: Zürich, CH – Hallenstadion
Dec 12: Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Dec 14: Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Dec 15: Glasgow, UK – Ovo Hydro
Dec 17: Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Dec 18: Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Dec 20: London, UK – The O2
Dec 21: London, UK – The O2
* w/ Special Guests Knocked Loose and Orbit Culture
# w/ Special Guests Knocked Loose and Vended
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
