Pre-party hug
Photo credit: Griffin Lutz for Rolling Stone
“I avoid everyone like a damn disease backstage,” says Crahan. “We say everything we have to say at the rally.” Corey [Taylor] It sums up the day, reminds us of the past, if we were here before, and gives us a few things to focus on. And then basically, it's like, “Go to hell,” and then we get out.
When asked if it was true that the band said “Fuck New York” before going on stage at Madison Square Garden, Crahan didn’t hesitate. “It’s ‘Fuck New York,’ it’s ‘Fuck Madison Square Garden,’ because if we give in to [a moment]“It would take away from us in a way that we wouldn’t be able to provide what you need, and that’s unacceptable to us. So we can’t think about the pressures that we’re under where we are, and I certainly wouldn’t compare New York kids to Indianapolis kids. They’re all our kids. They’re all part of our culture. They’re all our fans. Just because it’s Madison Square Garden doesn’t mean it’s going to get a bigger or worse show than Indianapolis or Des Moines, Iowa. That’s not what we do at all.”
“So it’s like, ‘Damn Des Moines,’ or ‘Damn Indianapolis,’ or ‘Damn New York,’ or ‘Damn Tokyo,’ or ‘Damn Amsterdam,’ or whatever, and that’s the last thing you say to clear your palate, like ginger, and just say, ‘I’m here to play. I’m here to enjoy the art of God. I’m not here to think about New York or Madison Square Garden or it being sold out. I’m here to enjoy salvation and why I chose to play music and why I chose to perform, so this is just what we do.’ It’s just one way to relieve some of the pressure.”
