Shawn Crahan
Background information
Birth name Michael Shawn Crahan
Height:6'0"
Also known as #6, Clown, BoBo
Born September 24, 1969 (1969-09-24) (age 39)
Des Moines, Iowa
Genres Alternative metal, experimental metal, funk metal, i, []], industrial metal, nu metal, metalcore, punk metal, progressive metal, ultimate metal, rap metal
Occupations Musician, songwriter, producer, director
Instruments Custom percussion, drums, backing vocals
Years active 1993–present
Labels Roadrunner, Big Orange Clown, Nuclear Blast, Pale One, -ismist
Associated acts Slipknot, To My Surprise, Dirty Little Rabbits, Heads on the Wall,One Cup Fat,Quan
Michael Shawn Crahan born September 24, 1969, also known as Clown, Kong, or by his number #6, is an American musician known as one of the two custom percussionists of Slipknot, and the drummer of To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits.
Personal life and career
Crahan was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He once performed in bands such as Heads on the Wall, One Cup Fat and Quan. By the early 1990s, Crahan was an alcoholic, which he exacerbated when he purchased a local bar in Des Moines, called The Safari. Frustrated by his lack of success, he says he would have turned to suicide had he not met his future wife, Chantel. Crahan's parents financed Slipknot early in its history, and he professes nothing but the utmost respect for them.
As well as lending his percussion talents to the band, Crahan has also sung backing vocals on a number of songs Slipknot has both recorded and performed live. He also wrote the original draft of "Tattered & Torn", which appeared on the band's early demo, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.. Outside Slipknot, Crahan has founded Big Orange Clown Records, a vanity label within Sanctuary Records, which has so far signed the metalcore band Gizmachi. He also acted as director for, and assembled Slipknot's 2006 DVD, Voliminal: Inside the Nine, while the band engaged a brief hiatus.
He also performed with To My Surprise, recording drums and vocals for the band's self-titled debut. The band received little interest due to their album being released amidst the success of Slipknot members Corey Taylor, James Root and Joey Jordison's side projects, Stone Sour and the Murderdolls, respectively. To My Surprise was later dropped by Roadrunner Records. In 2007, Crahan began performing as drummer for Dirty Little Rabbits. The band was a supporting act for Stone Sour during their North American tour in Summer 2007, and have released one EP, titled Breeding. They have since signed a deal with The End Records as of November, 2008.
Crahan threatened to kill Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit if Durst even attempted to insult their fans, better known as "maggots", because Durst called their fans "the fat ugly kids".
Crahan has a wife named Chantal and four children, Alex Crahan, Gage Crahan, Gabrielle Crahan and Simon Crahan.
Mask
M. Shawn Crahan, to his nickname, wore clown-style masks. In the self-titled era, Crahan wore a clown's mask. It had a happy expression on it. In Iowa, Crahan's mask had an upside down pentagram on it with the numbers 666 on it plus his number marked on. Also, this mask had an angry expression on it as well as a fake bleeding brain on top. The mask also had horns. (In The Heretic Anthem, 666 was used to represent Satan.) During the Vol. 3 era, Crahan had a mask made with tape and blood on it, and a tumor-like bloody bump on the top. It still held the clown-like nose. Later on during touring, he cut off the top of the mask and let his long hair flow out.
Crahan's recent mask for All Hope is Gone is black with the same clown-like nose, and had a zipper in the mouth, which was not present in previous masks. During the All Hope Is Gone tour he changed this mask to a face mask which was black in color with a happy expression on it. He still had a red clown nose. this new mask is very similar to the mask that he had during the self-titles era.
Equipment
* Custom Pearl timpani style drums
* Pearl Competitor FFX-style marching snare (12x14)
* Vic Firth 2B American Classic drum sticks
* Two empty beer kegs, played primarily with a baseball bat.
*
o Crahan also has two cameras mounted on his rig which he uses to record himself, the band, and the audience. It has been highly speculated that he is using the footage for a DVD documenting the All Hope Is Gone tour.
With Slipknot
* 1996: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat
* 1999: Slipknot
* 2001: Iowa
* 2004: Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
* 2008: All Hope Is Gone
With To My Surprise
* 2003: To My Surprise
With Dirty Little Rabbits
* 2007: Breeding
* 2009: Simon
Albums produced
* 2000: L.D. 50 - Mudvayne
* 2001: Invitation to the Dance - 40 Below Summer
* 2003: To My Surprise - To My Surprise
* 2005: The Imbuing - Gizmachi
* 2008: The American Nightmare - Dirtfedd
Filmography
* 1999: Welcome to Our Neighborhood
* 2002: Disasterpieces
* 2002: Rollerball
* 2006: Voliminal: Inside the Nine
* 2008: Nine: The Making of "All Hope Is Gone"
* 2008: Repo! The Genetic Opera
Trivia
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2009)
* According to the Mayhem Festival Program, Crahan has some pieces of his deceased father's skull in a jar in his desk.
* Crahan plays drums on the bonus track Til We Die on their new release All Hope Is Gone.
* Crahan performed vocals on parts of the full length version of Danger - Keep Away from Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). The full length version is found on the special edition of the album.
* Crahan performed percussion on the Repo! The Genetic Opera Soundtrack.
* At age 39, Crahan is the oldest member of Slipknot.
* Crahan was angry once because of what Slipknot could have been like if Sid Wilson had not had the extra fingers he was born with removed. Crahan stated: "They cut off his goddamn fingers 'cause society doesn't like them. Think what a DJ he coulda been with those extra fingers! We've been deprived of that 'cause of those motherfuckers!"
* Formed three bands that got record deals(Slipknot, To My Surprise, and Dirty Little Rabbits)
* Crahan is also called Kong because his mother told him once that he looked like a silver-backed gorilla.
* Crahan also remixed the Coheed and Cambria song Welcome Home during Slipknot's American leg of the All Hope Is Gone Tour, it was streamed on Coheed and Cambria's myspace homepage.
