2 hours ago
6 
‘Slipknot are touring’, I screamed as I ran down the stairs to my partner.
Excited nostalgia rushed through my body as I sat in my bedroom, scanning their Instagram. I had only seen them live twice before, at Reading Festival in 2000 and 2002, and I wondered if my frail 42-year-old body was capable of returning to the mosh pit.
I started doing maths on how much tickets would cost and if maybe I should choose seating. I thought about the Slipknot t-shirt I had just bought this past weekend sitting in my wardrobe, like it was foreshadowing to this moment.
Then I saw it.
‘With special guest Marilyn Manson’.
All the excitement immediately left my body and was replaced with revulsion.
There was no way I was going to watch someone perform who had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women – allegations he has always denied.
After a number of lawsuits, one of the star’s accusers has been granted a jury trial date for next year to pursue a civil action for alleged assault in 2010.
I knew all of this – and I couldn’t believe that Slipknot were platforming Manson. It almost felt like the band had taken a side – that they made a statement about who they support.
I’m not the only fan disappointed – in the comments on the Instagram post users have stated their feelings about it: ‘As the biggest ex Manson fan in the world, what the HELL. This is so disappointing.’ said katerinamx.
Someone named guynamedfawkes writes: ‘Would have gone if MM wasnt playing too!’
And I couldn’t agree more.
I remember first watching a Slipknot video on MTV2 in 1999 when I was an angry and impressionable 15 year old teen. The debut single Wait and Bleed was an important moment in my angsty hatred towards the world – the imagery was shocking, the masks disgusting and the lyrics controversial.
My parents hated Slipknot, and that made me love them more. It was the time when ‘parental advisory’ stickers were plastered on albums in HMV, and I would buy them confidently knowing my parents could never see me frantically scratching off the warnings.
But they heard it, loud and clear in my small bedroom.
I remember seeing Slipknot live at Reading 2000 and being blown away with their performance. The visuals, the props, their presence – was everything I wanted and needed.
It was the same year Daphne and Celeste – a young pop double act – performed their out-of-place child-like music, and were bottled mercilessly by the public.
In fact, Corey Feldman, the lead singer of Slipknot was watching it happen and recently on Off-Menu’s podcast said ‘I went backstage and they were bawling their eyes out. And I said
Should Slipknot reconsider having Marilyn Manson as a supporting act?
‘Hey. You did something that a lot of people wouldn’t have done. You stayed in there, so hold your head up.’
It felt right for them to stand with young women who were essentially assaulted on stage, by the angry crowd. Because that’s cool – and a young Sharan was convinced they were cool.
And still was, until yesterday’s announcement.
Alongside Slipknot, I loved a plethora of music my parents hated growing up.
From Nine Inch Nails, to Tool and Glassjaw – I just loved to listen to people scream about just about anything. And if we’re honest, I still do.
But one person I was originally a huge fan of, hasn’t been on my listening rotation since 2021, when allegations of sexual assault first began to spread across the news.
Marilyn Manson was publicly accused by his ex-girlfriend actress Evan Rachel Wood of abuse during a three-year relationship which began in 2007.
She alleged he ‘horrifically abused’ and ‘manipulated’ her and he was ‘a dangerous man’. Many more women then came out with their own stories of abuse soon after, all of which Manson denied.
Manson sued Wood and another accuser for defamation, but later dropped the legal action and agreed to pay her legal fees.
It was a turning point for me – because I immediately decided to believe all the women who came forward.
That same year, model Ashley Morgan Smithline says she was raped, experienced bodily harm and unlawful imprisonment from Marilyn Manson when they were in a relationship.
Then Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco claimed severe physical, sexual, and psychological abuse against him. His former assistant Ashley Walters then stepped forward with her own accounts of assault.
Again, Manson denied the claims.
But as someone who has experienced sexual assault in her life – like many women – I made the choice to stop listening to Manson the second allegations emerged.
I just wish Slipknot had taken the same stance.
Over the years, I’ve found myself having to stop engaging in content from many of the men I was once a fan of due to allegations against them.
Neil Gaiman wrote my favourite book – since then, I’ve donated all the graphic novels and books of his I owned – despite a judge dismissing a claim of assault against him.
I used to enjoy Louis CK’s TV show, simply named Louie, until he admitted masturbating in front of women.
None of this was hard for me to do – in fact it was easy.
And I take pride in that.
But when Slipknot announced Marilyn Manson as their support act for their tour, they removed that ability for me to ignore him. I could, I suppose, turn up late to the show and miss Manson and watch just Slipknot, but money is still going to him.
As instagram user ceeceellama rightly notes in a comment under Slipknot’s tour announcement: ‘Slipknot, Lorna Shore and Hatebreed is a dreamy line up, but I would never lower myself to lining a Sexual Predators pockets’.
I absolutely do not want him to have any of my money, or the massive platform this support slot provides.
It’s upsetting to see Slipknot start as a safe place for young people to feel welcomed and accepted, despite their oddities – offend so many of their female fans.
It’s incredibly uncool and young Sharan would not be impressed.
And as an adult, I will happily avoid them, alongside the long list of other men who have disappointed me.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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