Corey Taylor back on stage with Slipknot after neck surgery

Corey Taylor on stage
Taylor in action in Nashville last night (Image credit: Dusty Draper)

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor played his first show last night since undergoing emergency spinal surgery – and he admitted it was strange to be performing with a neck brace.

The band were forced to postpone the first shows of their North American tour with Marilyn Manson, after Taylor was told he’d broken his neck without realising it.

Their June 28 show at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville included 17 songs, performed while the vocalist remains under orders to avoid his trademark stage antics.

Taylor told the crowd: “Let’s address the elephant in the room – I fucking broke my neck. But there was no way I wasn’t coming to Nashville to do this show.”

He later added: “It sure is weird playing with this pillow on my neck.”

His black brace wasn’t highly visible as it blended into his mask and costume. Bandmates Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan and Sid Wilson were seen to be offering more support than usual, while the audience displayed some concern at the beginning of the show – but the frontman delivered a powerful performance despite his restrictions.

Before the show he had tweeted: “First day back. Haven’t smoked in two months. Broken neck, weird scar. Not enough coffee.”

Stay tuned for a full review of the show. Slipknot and Manson continue on the road until the end of September.

Slipknot’s Clown amazed by Corey Taylor’s resilience

Slipknot setlist: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, June 28

The Negative One
Disasterpiece
Eyeless
Skeptic
Before I Forget
Killpop
Dead Memories
Everything Ends
Psychosocial
Pulse of the Maggots
Left Behind
The Devil in I
Wait and Bleed
(sic)

Encore:
Surfacing
Duality
Spit It Out

Slipknot tour dates 2016

Jun 29: Atlanta Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, GA
Jul 01: West Palm Beach Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, FL
Jul 02: Tampa Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, FL
Jul 03: Simpsonville Charter Amphitheater, SC
Jul 06: Wantagh Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, NY
Jul 08: Hartford Xfinity Theatre, CT
Jul 09: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Jul 10: Scranton The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, PA
Jul 12: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Jul 13: Noblesville Klipsch Music Center, IN
Jul 15: Oshkosh Rock USA, WI
Jul 14-16: Cadott Rock Fest, WI
Jul 17: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air, IL
Jul 19: Toronto Air Canada Centre, ON
Jul 20: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Jul 21: Quebec Videotron Centre, QC
Jul 23: Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheater, NY
Jul 24: Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, NY
Jul 26: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Jul 27: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Jul 29: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
Jul 30: Burgettstown First Niagara Pavilion, PA
Aug 02: Charlotte PNC Music Pavilion, NC
Aug 04: Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Aug 05: Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena, IA
Aug 07: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Aug 09: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT
Aug 11: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA
Aug 13: Concord Concord Pavilion, CA
Aug 14: Inglewood The Forum, CA
Aug 17: Chula Vista Sleep Train Amphitheatre, CA
Aug 19: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheater, NM
Aug 20: Phoenix Ak-Chin Pavilion, AZ
Aug 21: Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, NV
Aug 25: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX
Aug 26: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 27: Austin 360 Amphitheater, TX
Sep 25: San Manuel Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, CA
Oct 15-16: Toluca Knotfest, Mexico
Nov 05: Tokyo Knotfest, Japan

Slipknot: The Story So Far

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.