“Slipknot, they sound cool.” Written By: Vincent Deskiewicz, Jr., AKA Vin of American Mosh Pits
- davidheldwein
- Feb 24
- 5 min read
“Slipknot, they sound cool.”
In July of 1999 I experienced one of the greatest moments in my life long music journey. I shook the hands of the original 9 members of Slipknot. It was a different time back then and it was a moment where a gut decision lead me to the right place. I look back now and I realize I did something not many people on this earth can say they did. A young teenage boy enjoying a day at a festival that changed the heavy metal music scene shaking the hands of a band that changed the heavy metal music world, you just never know.
It was approximately 11:30am when it was my turn to pass through security and the gate at Ozzfest 99 in Camden, NJ. Empty your pockets and arms up for a full pat down (metal detecting wands and walk through metal detectors were not a thing yet at stadiums). “Hand your ticket to the next person (yes a paper ticket that I bought at a Ticketmaster Outlet inside a Boscov's in a shopping mall) and they will give you lineup paper.” the security guard informs me that performed my pat down. What's a lineup paper you ask? You must have been born after 1983. In the old days we did not have cell phones and at this time the internet was at an infant stage on desktop computers so when you went to a festival they would hand you a piece of paper that had the times and bands on it. You would have to hold this paper all day and not lose it and when it got all wet in your pocket from sweat and liquid you just had to wing it. Ok, let's take a look and see what we are getting into today.
11:45Am Stage 3 Slipknot catches my eyes on the paper, “Slipknot, they sound cool.” I thought to myself and made the decision to head to stage 3 and see my first set of the day. I had never heard of this band before on Headbangers Ball on Saturday night or in the metal magazines that came out monthly. When I reach stage 3 there was approximately 15 to 18 people standing on the rail ready to see this band with the cool name nobody has ever heard of. I grab my spot center stage rail and nod to the fans to my right and left. What will we see? Will this be an awesome beginning to a great day or slow start that I will have heard enough after 2 songs? Its 1144am, 60 seconds will tell all.
All the sudden a DJ comes across the PA speakers and a voice that keeps being altered repeats “I think the whole thing is shit. I think the whole thing is shit. I think the whole thing is shit.” 9 people emerge from the black curtain all dressed in these red prison jump suits with different numbers and symbols on them and they all have these CRAZY masks on! Man, this is going to be good, I can feel it! They each make a slow walk to take a position as a musician and they hold as the lead singer slowly reaches for the mic. The DJ is still repeating the one sentence shit chant and it is really slowing now to almost total slow motion of sound. All of the sudden the drummer hits and a wall of the angriest all new sounding heavy metal attacks my senses and my mind is blown!
For the next 18 to 20 minutes this band Slipknot (which about halfway through the set we found out came from Iowa) just pounded you with this high energy show and in your face brutal metal. The guys are jumping around the stage everywhere. The lead singer goes between growling, singing, rapping, yelling and talking. This addition of a DJ to a heavy metal band is just out of this world. At 19 about to be 20 years old and 5 years of concerts under my belt this by far was the wildest and heaviest band I had seen on stage. I have no idea what these songs are or what half of what he is saying but I LOVE IT! As he finishes his last song the lead singer says “Buy our self titled album coming out the end of this month!” All I could think was I will be in the Sam Goody store (yes you bought CDs or Tapes at a store in person back then) every week looking for this album!
As the musicians played their last note and handed their instruments or items used to play the instruments to the stage hands the moment of my life I am writing about began. At the completion of the set there was probably about 8 to 10 of the original 15 to 18 people remaining on the rail. The largely populated band lined up in a single file line and came down to the rail! The started at one end and went straight down the line and each band member shook the hand of each fan and the lead singer would say “Thank you for checking out our set.” to you as he shook your hand. That was a cool thing for new band to do, great way to gain some fan respect!
It's 2024 now when I decided to write this. I have told this story to thousands of fellow metal fans at events around the country. My son for the longest time thought I was telling a tall tale until one day at a Lamb Of God show at the same venue a few years back a man around my age confirmed the story because he was one of the 8 to 10 that was with me that day at stage 3 for that moment. Who would have ever thought I would have a chance as a young kid to shake the hands of the original 9 members of the legendary Slipknot before time starting chipping away at the lineup? I look back at my life and that was probably one of the greatest “Follow Your Gut Instinct” decisions I ever made. A cool band name on a piece of paper lead me to see the absolute beginning of one of the greatest metal band careers of all time. A young teenage boy enjoying a day at a festival that changed the heavy metal music scene shaking the hands of a band that changed the heavy metal music world, you just never know. Thank you Vin for your submission and your wonderful thoughts. Be sure to check out American Mosh Pits on all social media platforms!
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