One from Mayhem: Slipknot

Todd Owyoung·
Music Photography
·1 min read·2045 views

Slipknot -- 2008.07.23

Here's just a taste of Mayhem from Slipknot's performance.

Slipknot frontman #8, AKA Corey Talor, perched on his ego-riser during the band's headlining performance at Mayhem Fest.

Other performances I photographed included DragonForce, Mastodon, Disturbed, Underoath, and Machine Head. Stay tuned for those sets.

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Todd Owyoung

Todd Owyoung is an internationally published music photographer based in New York City. He specializes in music lifestyle, concert, and celebrity portraits. He is proud to be a Nikon Ambassador for Nikon USA.

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29 Responses

  2. Yeah, pretty creepy. I didn’t photograph all of their set, but did photograph a good half of it.

    I thought the masks might have affected the shoot, but I still thought it was an engaging gig.

    Thanks for the country, sorry that you couldn’t shoot this one. We’ll have to line something up soon.

    Reply

  4. Hey George, thanks for the kind feedback, glad to hear this shot works for you, regardless of the music.

    Actually, my ears are just fine. I’ve been using some Hearos earplugs that stop a nice 32-dB of sound, which really saves my ears after photographing 6 hours of metal.

    I haven’t had my ears ring once since using these plugs, which I cannot say about the Etymotic Research ER-20s.

    Reply

  6. I didn’t know this term until I was talking to one of the lighting techs on the Taste of Chaos tour. That’s how he referred to those little platforms.

    But yes, funny. :)

    Reply

  7. As a point of comparison, the ER-20’s attenuate about 12-22dB according to their literature and which scale you want to use. I still think they’re a great product, but just be aware of the limitation.

    Remember, audio is logarithmic. A difference of 10dB is HUGE!

    Reply

  8. Hearing is believe how much 10dB can make. I think there’s a place for the Ety plugs, but I go to so many shows that even with just three songs, my ears were taking too much abuse.

    At the Mayhem Fest I was photographing full sets, so earplugs were a necessity!

    Reply

  9. So I am JUST getting to my shots now. You totally beat me to it! These guys were just out of this world…so crazy.

    It was great shooting with ya, Todd!

    Reply

  10. Hey Keith, it was great to meet up with you yesterday, I’m glad everything worked out. So, are you hooked now?

    Slipknot was pretty insane, though the crowd wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I thought people were going to go nuts with the crowd surfing, but I guess the pit in the amphitheater is actually pretty small compared to the outdoor stages, so the sheer mass wasn’t there.

    I’m going to have a look at the rest of these shots tonight, and I’ll watch for your set.

    We’ll have to get Chris out next time.

    Reply

  11. Am I hooked? YOU BET! I already want my next fix. My mission over the next day is to plow through these shots and get some sets up.

    Yeah, that pit wasn’t that huge due to all the seating there. I think that made a difference. I look forward to the rest of your stuff!

    Reply

  13. Good shot Todd, I’m eager to see the rest of the set… And the one from Machine Head… So please hurry :P

    I’m kidding… I’ll wait for ’em…

    BR

    Reply

  15. Are you calling me crazy? :P lol
    I grew up listening to Metal, although I like to consider myself different from the other metal fans I know, because I can as easily listen to other types of music with no problems what so ever…

    BR

    Reply

  16. ummmmm….I went to visit their site……ok
    That some disturbing images. they should have these guys star in the next Batman Dark Knight episode. Slipknot vs. Batman…this would be awesome…….and ummm disturbing

    Reply

  17. I don’t know what’s the purpose of the masks, but I tell you they are amazing… And seen in full detail they are works of some great artist…

    They do their job, create a certain mood… But although they’re music is heavy, there is nothing creepy about them, or their music, and even about their shows…

    Reply

  18. Oh, I believe it. I’m sure the masks are probably film-quality in their production. I was just reading an interview in which “Clown” was saying how they never wash the masks, too.

    The creepiness factor about the look is debatable, but I would agree, the music itself isn’t creepy at all. There was a great deal of showmanship in the performance, which I respect.

    Reply

  19. Todd

    Fabulous website – just started shooting shows myself in the past couple weeks and it looks like you have a great resource here. Your photos are superb so I’ll be reading every post, trying to pick up tips :)

    I also use the foam earplugs but not Hearos brand. Believe mine are rated at 32 db too – they certainly work and it makes all the difference in the world, especially being in the pit. Plus they’re a tacky bright orange so they’re easy to find if they fall loose in the camera bag after the lights go out :). Only drawback I’ve found is the squishiness factor can sometimes lead to them opening up a bit and letting unfiltered sound in, but that’s only if you keep poking at them and it fixes itself after a few seconds. Given they’re so cheap, I usually use mine for a few shows then replace them, along with carrying some extras in my bag. Thanks for getting the word out on this – I have tinnitus myself after years of playing in bands and it’s no fun at all.

    Keath

    Reply

  20. Hi Keath,

    I’m glad you found ISS, I hope you’ll join in the discussions on this site.

    Someone gave me the very good tip of opening your jaw while inserting earplugs and letting them expand, as it changes the shape of the ear canal slightly and creates a better fit while the plugs are in use.

    I think wearing earplugs during shows is critically important, especially considering how close we are to the bass speakers, even it’s “only” for three songs. Three songs is plenty to damage one’s hearing!

    Reply

  21. What an experience! Unfortunately, I had to leave early due to an unfortunate elbow to the eye during Mastodon’s first song, but I’m sooo anxious to see your shots!

    Reply

  22. Hey Lisa,

    That’s awful, I’m sorry to hear you had to leave early. Are you OK?

    Mastodon was the first band I shot and I think I must have missed you in the pit. I think there were about 6-8 photographers in the pit for most of the main stage bands.

    Hopefully I’ll be posting the rest of the shots from the various sets next week!

    Reply

  26. Hey Lori! These guys look totally creepy, but during the show, they really didn’t seem that scary.

    The frontman actually talked quite a bit in between songs, so the “scary inhuman” persona didn’t hold up for very long.

    Thanks for the comment!

    Reply

  27. Todd- I am a 41 year old deck builder who lives in Tacoma,WA. I have taken thousands of ameture photos of my decks over the last 20 years.

    Recently I stepped up my game and purchased a Canon 5D and some great lenses to go with it to document my art.

    My 16 year old son is an extremely talented drummer in a local band named “FRACTURE” and I have used my new toy to document their journey.

    I have been trying to find a way to get my son more involved with his passion and I have really enjoyed photographing him and his band, so I would like to try to become a concert photographer. Your information has been very helpful and interesting to me. if you ever get up to the Pacific Northwest, ping me-I would love to shadow you sometime. Any advice to jump start my new hobby would be appreciated. I’m not interested in making an income, just getting my kid to meet the people he idolizes.

    Thanks for your time
    Jason

    Reply

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