Corey Taylor is an American metal musician best known
as the vocalist of the insane metal band Slipknot or known as #8, and also sings for the hard rock band Stone Sour. He came to Vegas this last weekend to do some one-off shows for the Hard Rock Hotel while he is here on vacation and was also to have a display case dedicated to himself and Slipknot, inducted over by the Joint, their concert theater.

 

I was contacted to use one of my photos from the Halloween show last year at the Pearl, where I did a review for backstageaxxess.com that I shot of Corey, in this display case. As a Rock Photographer, I felt totally honored and gave them the photo.

  

Corey started his weekend with a stop at local radio station, KOMP 92.3 FM for a quick set for a very small but private audience and did an interview in between songs live on the air. He did three songs, one of which was Stone Sour's Bother. He also did an incredible Alice In Chains song. It was really strange to see this usually maniacal man sitting in a chair with a guitar just playing an acoustic song.

   

The next stop was at the Hard Rock pool that same night with Corey and his Junk Beer Kidnap Band jamming a ton of cover songs to a sweaty ass crowd in 100+ degree heat. Corey and the band were having the time of their lives as they cranked out songs like "Wish you Were Here", "Were Not Gonna Take it", and a Ramones medley. It was cool when Corey took off the guitar for Metallica and got his metal attitude back and totally rocked it!! Now that’s the Corey Taylor I know! That was a cool show that most people have never seen from this gifted singer
that has a crazy sense of humor.

 

Saturday evening was Corey's moment in the spotlight. Tons of Corey's friends, family, and fans came out to see him personally induct his display case with four of his jumpsuits and masks from past tours. There was also my live photo of him blown up huge and framed. He unveiled the case while conducting an interview about his band, life, and friend/brother, Paul Taylor, who just recently passed. He got emotional about that and was really emotional about receiving the honor of having this case dedicated to him and Slipknot. It seemed that his whole family
was there to cheer him on.

 

A few hours later Corey assumed his position on the stage of the Wasted Space again inside the Hard Rock, as one man and a guitar. He played his heart out to a packed house and told of his musical influences and how they affect his life. He gets emotional when he sees how much his fans love him and are there to support Taylor with this eclectic set of music that he plays from his heart. Music is his life and he lives for it.

He got things off and running with "NUTSHELL" from Alice in Chains. Elton John’s hit "TINY DANCER" lead into Pearl Jam's "BLACK" which kept this crowd singing along. Stone Sour's "BOTHER" got a huge response from his loyal fans. Corey rolled right into the Stone’s classic "WILD HORSES".  The Johnny Cash song "GIVE MY LOVE TO ROSE" was quite a departure from Slipknot.

Taylor brought out his friend Jason to help him out on the next few numbers starting with Tom Petty's "YOU GOT LUCKY". He brought out two more of his buddies for "BURN" by talented singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne. That was followed by the hauntingly beautiful "WICKED GAME", Chris Isaak would be proud. Corey ran off stage to hit the head and his friends played a "FREEBIRD" tease while the crowd sang along.

When he returned he said "What's happened to my show" and proceeded to do a tease of "HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY", yeah, from THE REN AND STIMPY SHOW. "I'M AN OUTSIDER" followed before he did his only solo song called "BREATH OF FRESH SMOKE". The fans loved "SMOKE" and I can't wait until it makes it to a CD. Pink Floyd's "WISH YOU WERE HERE" was magical, I really loved when he pointed to heaven. He dedicated "Snuff" to recently passed best friend Paul Grey from Slipknot and was very emotional again. Paul's wife who is pregnant was there for the induction and show so that was very emotional for her as well.

Corey did a killer version of the Stones’ "DEAD FLOWERS" as the crowd kept singing along. Taylor asked the audience for request and I think they forgot it was an acoustic show. He did a quick tease of a Pantera song which flowed into Poison's "EVERY ROSE HAS A THORN" as his followers went wild. A tease of Tool's "SOBER" segued into "POLLY" by Nirvana. Corey Taylor completed his first ever full length acoustic concert with "Green Day's" Good Riddance". We all had the time of our lives.

 

Corey is playing what he loves, what’s in his heart, no apologies, no regrets. He is a man that has been through hell and back and knows what’s important now; his wife, kids, family, friends, fans, and the music that he loves. Don’t be surprised when he puts out a solo CD sometime soon.

Stone Sour will be going on tour very soon promoting ‘Audio Secrecy’, slated for a September 7th release.

Set list for Wasted Space:

Nutshell: Alice In Chains
Tiny Dancer: Elton John
Black: Pearl Jam
Bother: Stone Sour
Milky Way: The Church
Fly Like An Eagle: Steve Miller
Wild Horses: Rolling Stones
Give MY Love to Rose: Johnny Cash
You Got lucky: Tom Petty
Burn: Ray Lamontagne
Wicked Game: Chris Isaak
(Corey’s buddies tease “Freebird” as the crowd sings it)
Happy Happy Joy Joy tease-from Ren and Stimpy
Outsider: Fiftyone Fifty
Breath of Fresh Smoke: Corey Taylor-solo
Wish You Were Here: Pink Floyd
Snuff: Slipknot
Dead Flowers: Rolling Stones
Acoustic Jukebox
Pantera tease
Every Rose Has It’s Thorn: Poison
Sober Tease
Polly: Nirvana
Good Riddance: Green Day