Joey Jordison

Drummer for Slipknot

Long before he laid down complex rhythms and fills for Slipknot, Joey Jordison earned a reputation as one of Iowa's budding jazz drummers.
"I would get a lot of criticism for playing too hard and out of the context of the song," says Jordison, who developed his chops through middle and high school jazz bands. "But I won a lot of awards."
Today the 5ft 4" Jordison wears white face paint on stage and backs a nine-piece band draped in masks and matching boiler suits. A pair of percussionists with beer kegs as the centerpieces of their setups bookend him. No band tore up more stages in 1999, and Slipknot's self-titled debut (Roadrunner Records) was an underground
and retail surprise. Still, Jordison is as comfortable playing Dixie standards such as "Fidgety Feet," "Lazy River," and "South Rampart Street Parade" as he is kicking out Slipknot favorites "Tattered & Torn" and "Wait And Bleed."
"I try to keep my horizons expanding, and I want to learn about all kinds of music," he says. "If it wasn't for the '60s and '70s music my parents were into, I don't know that I'd even have gotten into music as deeply as I have. When I was young, I wasn't watching Sesame Street or children's movies. My parents occupied my time by sitting me in front of the stereo and playing music."
Jordison wrote many of the guitar riffs for the record, and later helped mix it. But it was his drumming that pushed Slipknot beyond the realms of typical hardcore.

Number: 1.
Because drums are "the pivotal thing in Slipknot" and he's like "the glue that hold the band together".

Instrument: Drums. Joey plays the main set.

Facts:

• He's the shortest and most talkative member of the 'knot.
• He created the term 'Maggot' for a Slipknot fan.
• He's written a lot of Knot's lyrics. (Most famously the lyrics to Scissors, and the choruses to Surfacing & Spit It Out)
• He also wrote most of the music - together with Paul.
• He mixed the self-titled album, and created their Tribal 'S' logo.
• He can also be seen on the cover of Mate Feed Kill Repeat - sitting naked in a metal cage, which was made by himself, Shawn, Paul and Anders.
• He ripped off the arms and legs of his suit, to allow more freedom in his drumming.
• Before recording 'Iowa' he was running 2 miles everyday to be fit to drum songs like People=Shit, Disasterpiece and the Heretic Anthem.
• His favourite Slipknot song is (sic).
• It is said that he 'invented' the capital K in SlipKnot because when they started the band he was fan of KoRn. (He now dislikes them as Korn & the 'knot have had feuds in the past)
• You all know his famous drum solo.. he admits he's been inspired by Tommy Lee.
• Joey's old drum-riser was designed and half-made by Shawn (who was a welder)
• In the song Dogfish Rising from MFKR he plays guitar and drums.
• Joey came up with the basis of the "mask idea" - "There was this great feeling of something new. Shawn had make-up on his face that made his eyes look sunken. Andy had this grotesque face, painted all crazy. I was looking at them while we were playing and thought it fitted with the music."