SLIPKNOT’s Drummer JAY WEINBERG: “Playing My First Show With The Band Was Like Falling Out Of An Airplane”

The life of a musician is sometimes not as glamorous or easy as it seems. Long nights and years of touring catch up with them as years pass, but there are certain moments that remain unforgettable and worth the hassle. Current Slipknot‘s drummer Jay Weinberg talked about one of those moments during an interview with the Danny Wimmer Presents Power Hour.

Ever since Jay discovered Slipknot, he was hooked on the band’s music. So when he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as a replacement for drummer Joey Jordison in 2013, he was thrilled. Jay Weinberg had previous experience touring with none other than Bruce Springsteen, when he had to replace his father, Max Weinberg in 2009. But what started with him playing just a few songs, soon turned into the young drummer playing half the show on most dates.

During the beginning of 2010, Jay played with Madball, a hardcore band, for some months. He split with the band due to differences in lifestyle and habits. By the end of 2010, Against Me!, a punk rock band, welcomed him. The union lasted about two years, and in 2014 Weinberg became the official drummer for Slipknot. Even with the experience that Jay gained throughout the years, nothing could have prepared him for the first show with Slipknot in October 2014.

“I’ve said it before, but it’s like nothing…. I could have had years and years and years to prepare for my first Slipknot show. There was truly nothing that could prepare me for that first moment when the curtain goes up, we’re in our masks, we’re in our outfits, everybody’s there. That was like the turnkey moment.” Jay reflected.

“Especially after a year of knowing. I’m waiting for that moment, what’s gonna happen for this first show? What’s it going to smell like? What’s it gonna feel like? All this stuff, and just trying to best prepare myself for that moment. And there was no preparing for that moment. It really was, as the guys had described to me, every night is, like, you’re just dropped out of an airplane and you just have to figure it out. And so that first night certainly was special in that regard. And I feel like we’ve just built it over the last 10 years.”