Let me ask a hypothetical question. Let’s say you were a musician. You were hired by a band for a mega tour. A huge band with a loyal following. We are talking thousands of people screaming cheering massive stadium gigs. Stoked? Of course!
Now what if the one stipulation is that you had to remain offstage. Sure you can play but you can’t come out. Basically you’re a mistress to the band. They get your action but you get no face time and hell you don’t even have a name. You’re paid, you travel, but you are invisible.
Still want the gig?
Original Slipknot bassist Donnie Steele took it and as Paul Greys bass sat on the stage Steele rocked out behind the curtain. One of the most fucked up things I have heard in a really long time. I will build in a bit of sympathy factor and offer up maybe one song done like that, but the entire gig?! Screw that. When Portnoy took over for The Rev with Avenged Sevenfold he sat under a photo of the dudes shirt. That was bad enough but at least A7X didn’t ask him to play from the bus.
Doesn’t matter now really the tour is over band Slipknot is heading to the studio. Will they have a Grey shrine? Who knows but perhaps they should consider a band shrink to accompany them.
“There are songs that he’s written that will be a part of the next record. We’re all going to have to think like him, and he’ll be there. He’ll be there; there’s no way of Paul Gray not being a part of anything that we do for the rest of our career.”
Talking to Loudwire earlier this year, Crahan revealed the stress of continuing without a band mate and personal friend, stating that “even though it’s been over two years, you’ve got to be able to go into the studio calm, cool and collected, because I’m not ready to walk into a studio and not see him.”
Grey died of a drug overdose of morphine leaving a wife and child behind. Seems a bit of band guilt is involved with this over pious drama.