The Bakersfield Five, Korn, aborted their co-headlining stint
on the Lollapalooza tour in July when their dreadlocked guitarist Munky
reportedly suffered from viral meningitis and was given doctor's orders
to take it easy. The band - James "Munky" Shaffer, Jonathan Davis
(vocals), Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (bass), Brian "Head" Welch (guitar)
and David Silveria (drums) - had to cut short one of their first major
tours and opportunities to expose their urban, avant-metal sounds to
thousands of potentially uninitiated fans. But with the band's strong
momentum over the past few years, this was nothing more than an
unfortunate minor obstacle in their career path. With their track
record, they are sure to rise from this victoriously.
The quintet shared its beginnings in the lower middle-class
surroundings of Bakersfield in the mid-90's. It was the by-product of
other California bands; all the members except for Davis played
together in a local group titled LAPD, and a later version dubbed
Creep. Their repertoire has been described by Kornsmen as a mixture
between Chili Peppers funk and traditional, '80s heavy metal. Davis
joined the fold when Head and Munky first saw him singing for his own
band, Sex Art. Once Davis joined Korn, they were headed for
superstardom.
Their self-titled debut album, which was taped in a studio once
owned by country legend Buck Owens, eventually reached platinum sales.
Highlights like the moody "Blind" and "Clown" captured the music biz's
imagination with their tight, "twin-guitar" and bass-heavy sound.
Their follow-up, Life Is Peachy, has sold gold.
Korn has often said that their live shows truly capture their
essence - even more so than their powerful, tightly produced albums.
The following pictures of the individual members capture Korn at their
very best - their rapport with the audiences, Davis' dizzying, frantic
vocals, the passion.
In a rare idle moment onstage, Davis (in his traditional
exercise wear) sits on a stationary bicycle looking wondrously into
the Lollapalooza crowd. Munky, Fieldy and Head are pictured in
mid-riff as they seem to concentrate heavily on their corrosive tunes.
Below is drummer David Silveria, who is still beaming about recently
becoming a father.
Back to Articles
Back to Main