Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan missed the band’s opening show for Knotfest Australia 2025 in Melbourne. His son, Simon Crahan, also stepped down from the opening performance with his band Vended, citing ‘family emergency.’
Vended addressed Simon’s absence with an official statement just before their set. “Australia, unfortunately due to a family emergency Simon will not be performing with us in Australia. We will continue with a fill-in drummer for the next few shows thank you for understanding, see you soon,” they wrote on Instagram.
Slipknot has not revealed any details about Shawn Crahan’s absence. Frontman Corey Taylor announced in early set, saying, “He told us to tell you guys that he will be back down here as soon as he can. I’m sure you will all keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
It’s unclear at the moment if the drummer will show up for the rest of the tour.
Despite his absence, Slipknot went ahead with their Melbourne set, performing a mix of fan-favorites and rare tracks, including the live debut of ‘Gematria (The Killing Name)’ and the deep cut ‘No Life.’
The Knotfest Australia tour continues with two more stops: Brisbane on March 2 at Brisbane Showgrounds and Sydney on March 8 at Centennial Park.
