COREY TAYLOR On COVID-19 Vaccine: As Soon As It’s Ready, I’m Taking One’

Corey Taylor 2020

Corey Taylor spoke to Kerrang! magazine on what it has been like not being able to tour with SLIPKNOT for the past few months while the coronavirus pandemic has been raging across the world.

“It’s crazy,” Corey said. “I was just saying this a couple of days ago: I never thought in a million years I would miss the curmudgeons in SLIPKNOT and being on the road with those growly pricks. [Laughs] But, man, it seems like a million years ago that we played those shows [in Europe earlier this year].

“I can’t even remember that tour, that’s how long ago it was,” he continued. I long for that, and I can’t wait to get back on the road with SLIPKNOT and finish off that tour cycle when the time comes. Obviously, we don’t really know when that is, but with the decent news that the vaccines are looking promising, we have a very good chance to turn things around next year.

“Even though the winter is a little darker, maybe there’s some light at the end of the tunnel — we just need to get through this time and hopefully get back to normal next year. And I’m no anti-vaxxer, trust me! As soon as it’s ready, I’m taking one, and I don’t care what anybody says: I don’t wear tin foil hats, and I certainly didn’t vote for Trump, so I’m going to get a vaccine for this damn thing.”

When asked how he has coped with the idea of the world shutting down, he responded: “I mean, it was weird… this is the longest I’ve been off the road for 20 years, and when it first started, I was like, ‘Okay, it’ll be six months at the most…’ But when it finally got into, ‘Okay, we’re getting into 2021 now and we’re not really sure what’s going on,’ it was daunting.

“The first month or two I was almost shifting down into normal life, because my brain is so hardwired to not get settled for months at a time,” Corey continued. “Normally I get home and I have a good month, and then I’m back on the road again. It was interesting to feel that shift, and getting to that point of embracing domestic life. But, at the same time, this was all also the catalyst for doing the solo album the way I did, realizing that I had an opportunity to go in [to the studio] and bang it out real quick, and make something really awesome…

“I didn’t think it was going to have this sort of impact, which is rad,” he added. “I was just excited to make it and see what would happen. The flipside of that coin, though, is that it made me miss touring even more because I want to play these songs, and play with these guys live. It was definitely a tease, let’s put it that way. But it was still a great way to do something cool and put something out for people, and they’ve really enjoyed it.”

SLIPKNOT have recently announced a European tour for summer 2021.

The trek will kick off on July 16 at Moscow, Russia’s Park Live Festival and conclude on August 19 at Charleville-Mézières, France’s Cabaret Vert Festival. There will also be stops in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden.

Dates can be seen at this location.