Eloy Casagrande Details Extensive Slipknot Audition Process
Slipknot has been slowly rolling out the announcement of their new drummer, Eloy Casagrande, even though everyone guessed who it was a long time ago. In a recent interview that Casagrande gave with Veja São Paulo (as taken from the English translation posted by Metal Injection), Casagrande detailed the audition process, which took place over 10 days in Palm Springs both rehearsing and recording with the band, and the process seems surprisingly involved for a band that became famous for having some members who just wail on a trash can.
“At first, they didn’t explain what we were going to do. It was all kind of in the dark. The first thing they sent was a NDA document, so I couldn’t discuss it with anyone. I learned the setlist, prepared myself and, 4 days before the trip, they sent me a list of 32 songs that it would be important for me to know. Many of the songs I was learning weren’t on that list, so I started looking for sheet music.
“When I got there, they gave me a setlist on the first day, which had some songs I didn’t know either, but we went out playing. On the first day, I was very nervous, because the band was complete, and it’s quite an impact to see the guys there in front of you. It’s a band I’ve been listening to since I was a teenager, and followed on TV.
“On the first day I was terrible, I didn’t like my performance, but from the second day on I improved. Each day they played a different setlist in the morning, so I had a few hours to learn a song or two that was missing. Overall, it was very smooth. I had everyone’s support.”
Casagrande also mentioned in the interview that they had written some new material together, but that it was shelved so the band could focus on celebrating their 25th anniversary.
