Corey Taylor wasn’t messing around this summer when he said he had about “five years left of physically touring” at his current rate with Slipknot.
In a new interview, Taylor doubled-down on that estimate, explaining he’s practically in “constant pain” when he walks from all his years of touring. It’s this pain that provides the main reason the rocker is eyeing a full-time leave from the road.
The Slipknot lead singer, Stone Sour founder and solo artist also sketched out how he envisions his eventual retirement, and he touched on a range of other topics in the extensive video chat with Rock Feed that emerged Monday (Sept. 11).
READ MORE: Corey Taylor Talks About the Beatles Song That He Thinks Is a ‘Piece of Sh-t’
“There’s still a handful of things that I wanna do and that I’m looking to try and do, and I’m being proactive to do them,” Taylor says. “But once I run out of ideas, I’ll just be like, Alright, it’s time to find my favorite chair and gain some weight. That’ll be what I do.”
Referencing his previous retirement estimate, the Slipknot vocalist continues, “I’ve already said that physically I maybe have five years left. But at the same time, I go out of my way to really try to take care of myself. Now, I have a lot of fucking miles on me — it’s hard for me. People don’t realize this but when I walk, I’m almost in constant pain.”
Why Taylor Is in ‘Constant Pain’
Taylor explains of his injuries, “It’s the knees, it’s my feet. I have a broken toe on this foot. I have gout across my feet. It gets up into my joints and shit. … It’s tough. I’m not as nimble as I used to be. I’m not 35 anymore. It’s hard. But there are ways to do shows that don’t require being that crazy now.”
Earlier this year, the singer suggested he’d help Slipknot find a replacement lead vocalist should he retire and the band wish to continue without him. But that replacement would theoretically face the same weary road that he has traveled for over 25 years.
Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor (Jo Hale, Getty Images)
“The travel doesn’t lend itself to being healthy because, at that point, it’s not like being home,” Taylor says. “You’re kind of at the mercy of what’s there for you. So you’re gonna eat like shit, you’re gonna sleep like shit, you’re gonna feel like shit. And nine times out of 10, you’re gonna play like shit. … Even a guy at my level, it’s not always laid-out catering and the best food and the best people.”
He adds, “Sometimes it’s a soggy sandwich at 12:30 in the morning, and you’re looking at it going, If I put this in my body, I’m gonna throw up. People don’t fucking get that. … There have been times we’ve gotten off stage, we’ve gone right to the airport, flown out. We don’t sleep until seven the next day. … Our crew gets it even worse because they have to fucking go in, make sure everything’s good, and then they can go fucking take a nap. So it’s not gravy all the time, man. It’s tough. It’s hard fucking work. Even at our level, it’s hard work.”
CMF2, Taylor’s latest solo album, is out Sept. 15. Watch the full Rock Feed interview below.
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Corey Taylor on Rock Feed – Sept. 11, 2023
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