They're multi-platinum, have sold-out a cross-country arena trek, and are one of the most recognized bands in America. And KoRn are still the best kept secret in hard rock. While their sound clearly isn't for everyone, they've cultivated one of rock's most loyal and expansive followings. And they've done it without compromising the extremity of their sound, and without the support of mainstream media. Sure, now you can't turn on MTV, flip through the radio, or look at a magazine without the mugs of Jonathan Davis, Head, Munky, Fieldy, and David Silveria glaring back at you, but where was the support before their Cinderella-story rise to stardom? It was the band's grass-roots approach to touring and their uncanny connection with fans that propelled their self-titled debut to platinum, and it was the vocal support of their legions of followers that mandated they become big-time media players. There's no mistaking it, the kids love their KoRn. Nothing was more evident throughout their recently concluded arena with Rob Zombie and openers Videodrone. When the quintet hit the stage, backed by a giant split-level cage lined with fans, arenas were transformed into a massive science experiment: Potential energy, transformed into kinetic energy. It's the real thing, from the second they drop into opener "Blind" to the final hum of the Cheech and Chong cover "Earache My Eye," the evening's closer. The insanity is awe-inspiring, and a sight that hasn't been experienced in metal circles since Metallica's earliest days as an areana act. The performance is that intense and the results are that spectacular. Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that a new generation have chosen the band to guide them into the new millennium. Guitarist Head offered some insight . . .
KoRn and Rob Zombie on the "Rock is Dead" tour. Do I sense some sarcasm?
You could smell it really thick! Every show's been amazing, we're selling out almost everywhere.
I remember seeing KoRn open for Ozzy, and now you're headlining the same arenas on your own. Did you ever imagine you would get this big?
It's funny you said Ozzy, because we would watch him every night. That was one of the funnest bands we ever toured with, because we'd watch every night - all the songs, all the hits, all the memories. We'd go, "Man, we'll never be able to have a crowd that size and take control of them and entertain them . . . Ever!" And four years later, we're doing it. We trip out every night.
It's insane. Now, you're one of the first bands to come full circle and give fans the big arena-rock spectacle.
I think it was ready for it. Outdoor shows are cool and everything, but sound travels everywhere and it's not as pumping. Blowing the roof off indoors is better.
There was talk of you and Zombie touring earlier, and it didn't happen. Is the tour going smoothly?
He's so cool. We didn't have problems before, I think he just wanted to bring his stage set, and with all the bands on Family Values, I don't think it was really possible. It would have been hard for him to use everything. Now we have Videodrone with us, but they set up in front of Zombie. So Zombie sets up in front and then we set up in back, and we turn the stage like we did on Family Values. He has the whole day for them to put up everything, then they just turn it around, So there's plenty of time so he can have his whole big, huge, haunted house set. Everything he does he can fit onstage now, and time-wise everything works. Back then, when we were supposedly fighting with him about something, it was never us. We never even talked to him.
Any plans on returning to the road this summer?
Actually, we'er going to write a new record June 1. We're gonna disappear for a little bit and give people a break. We don't want to beat the record to death, put out a third songle, a fourth single, and have people going, "Enough already!"
It's a thick record though. You had much stronger songs this time around.
I think we just grew. We got older, and we got more experience. We write more mature songs, I think. As far as music and everything, the sounds are better and they stand out more. You could hear everything me and Munky were doing a lot clearer . . . But I'm happy with all three of the albums.
All three have their place, and together it's a perfect evolution. Where do you see yourselves fitting? I've read that you guys have a hard time being called a "metal" band, but that's really where your touring roots are.
I don't mind it at all. Neither do some of the guys in the band, It's just a lot more than that. It's heavier, there's a lot more going on than just metal.
I always viewed you as the "new wave" of metal. There's nothing wrong with tradition, but there needs to be room for evolution.
It's not a bad word to be called "metal." I listened to metal my whole life growingn up.
Who were some of the bands you listened to?
All kinds. When I started playing guitar, the first thing I learned was Ted Nugent's "Spit It Out" solo. No, actually, the first solo I learned was Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" in fifth grade. And I think as it goes down the scale a little bit I would go out of key, but the first part I got right! The second one was "Spit It Out," and that's when I started to learn how to play by ear and teach myself. Then I learned Ozzy songs and Sabbath and Maiden. Then, when MTV came out, I would learn Tom Petty solos, and cars, and shit like that. Anything that caught my ear that I wanted to learn I'd go after. I was into metal heavily, but I wouldn't stop there. I mean I got into Chet Atkins for a long time. I got into classical music . . .
What do you think about the influx of bands that sound similar to KoRn?
Songs that have originality and stuff, we're just flattered that we could inspire someone. It's totally cool with us. We've heard demos where it's one of our riffs, straight, the exact same thing. That's just kids that are probably learning - in their first band and stuff - and they'll grow. As far as other bands out there, I say the more the better. Get heavy music out there again 'cause it's time. We were stoked - MTV didn't support is a lot - but we're stoked to get heavy music back on there. Then they started to play Bizkit . . .
Limp Bizkit's blown me away, one minute they're opening for Primus, a year later they're platinum.
Well, when they released that "Faith" video on Family Values, it just blew up. They started smoking us!
They're headlining the next Family Values, right?
That's what I hear. I believe they are doing that, back in arenas 'cause that's the whole vibe of Family Values: For a bunch of bands to have their own stage props and everything. An indoor rock show.
While watching the Family Values home video, the crowd goes crazy for Ice Cube's "Fuck the Police," but other than that, they seemed kind os lost. Do you think it's important to open people's minds to such different forms of music?
Some cities it's different. Some cities are going off the whole Cube set. I think that was the best match up as far as us, 'cause we've played with a lot of hip-hop bands like Liquid Habits, Snoop Dogg, and a few others. House of Pain and Ice Cube I think matched up really well. People respect Cube a lot and his songs are heavy rap songs.
A lot of the alternative-leaning listeners say you're too heavy, that you're a metal band, then the traditional metal kids say, "They're rap. They're ruining metal." You've got a passionate following on both sides of the fence.
Those are the close minded people. It's all good. It's a pumping-ass rock show. We throw grooves in and a little bit of hip-hop, but Jonathan doesn't rap. Maybe if we do a song with a guest or something . . .
I'm still trying to figure out what Jonathan does do!
He's in some other land! Jonathan World! He comes up with all this shit all the time with his voice. All the weird the weird shit that no one's ever done. The other night he started this thing like he's doing a guitar sound and a drum beat at the same ime, with his voice. [Head tries to make the noise] I can't do it. I can't even fucking try to to it! It was like a two-chord thing, a minor thing with a guitar sounding thing, with a beat and some little sample things.
Does he play anything?
He plays everything! He plays bagpipes, everything . . . That ancient instrument in Australia, the big old tube thing, he even plays that! he bought like eight of those when we went to Australia. He just finds any instrument and learns it.
Have you started writing the new record yet?
We're writing some riffs ans stuff, just to get ready so we can go in.
What are you looking at release wise?
Probably early 2000. Who knows though? We might try to write, and not be able to, and take a year-and-ahalf . . I don't think that's going to happen, though. We just get in the studio and stay in the room eight hours a day intil we're burnt, and then we quit.
Is it going in a different direction, or staying true to what KoRn has evolved into?
I think we'll just go in there and see what happens. With every reocrd we wouldn't try to do something, we just went in and we'd write an come up with stuff. If it was good, we'd know it and keep it. If not we'd just throw it out and move on to something else.
A number of you are fathers now, right?
Yep, four out of five. Munky isn't.
Does that change your perspective?
No, not me, personally, at all. But Jonathan writes lyrics about some of his experiences, but as far as the music part, it doesn't really do anything. It's like two separate things for me.
Has it affected life as a touring entity for KoRn?
Oh yeah. Yeah, a lot. It's harder to be away from home.
Is that why your not staying on the road longer?
No. It's just because we planned it for this record - we were only going to do a couple of singles and not beat it to death and drag it out so long.
Keep people from getting sick of having you around?
Not to say they would, but I do wanna go home and be with my daughter. She's weight months.
She was in the Family Video, right?
Yeah. She was tiny in that. She was about four months. But they come out, too. I don't go more than two weeks without seeing them. when they come for like four or five days, they'll travel with us. Our bus is full. Our crew has their own bus and they party way more than the band.
If your daughter was 14 or 15-years-old, would you feel comfortable with her listening to a lot of the music out today?
Yeah. I think I'll raise her smart, to know what's right and wrong. Music's like watching a movie, some of the music goes off in stores and stuff . . . Whatever, I think I'll raise her right.
I don't think a lot of fans realize what really goes on on the road, they think it's all fin and games. Someone made a comment in the video that the road's not as much fun as everyone thinks it is. You get your one hour of playing at the end of the night, and that's it.
That's a dream right there, the one hour, especially right now with the arenas we're doing. That's a dream, but it's not bad. You miss your family and stuff a lot more because we're getting older. Some people - loke on the last tour, Family Values - Fieldy went crazy. He was getting ready to have his second child, and toward the end he was going crazy, yelling at people and stuff. and Munky . . . I don't know, they were going a little crazy, like they needed a break or something. But we're fine right now. That hour onstage is best, I swear. Unless my back hurts, then it's not fun!
Didn't you have to cancel some shows on Lollapalooza due ot back problems?
Not me. Munky got viral meningitis and it was the worst. I just have a bad back. The way we play, what our bodies do live . . . We don't just stand there like a lot of bands. We hunch over with our guitars hanging, so my lower back gets pain. I've had nothing, knock on wood, really bad happen with my back, though. I just get pain. I stretch like a mug before the show, for like 20 minutes. We spend a lot of money on masseuses, too.
How are the crowds reacting? Is it a compatibility thing with Zombie?
Yeah. They're loving the whole show. It's really cool. They're even digging Videodrine, it's their first tour as Videodrone. It's the second band that we've signed on our label, and they seem to be having a good time the whole show. It's a good show. If I wasn't in the band and I came, I'd like it.
Orgy was the first band on Elementree . . . How active are you guys involved with the development of those acts?
Fieldy produced Videodrone. I love that record.
And Orgy?
They out out their second single, "Stiches." They're doing good, they just went gold. Our first band that we signed went gold . . . Not bad!
Fieldy produced Videodrone, are you working on anything?
I haven't yet. At this point I don't want to get involved in that because I barely have time for KoRn and my family. Fieldy went through a lot of shit when he was doing that, but he had to do it, he had to go after it. he didn't get to see his family a lot because he was working with us writing, and then afterwards he'd go hang out with them and help them write songs the same day. He had a little girl, and one on the way, plus his wife . . . It was hard for him, but he got through it and did a good job.
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