Slipknot plays its first show ever without Paul Gray (#2).

Blabbermouth.net has reported that SLIPKNOT's first show since the passing of bassist Paul Gray took place earlier today (Friday, June 17) in front of 25,000 fans on the Apollo Stage at the Greek installment of the Sonisphere festival at Terravibe Park in Athens.

According to a review that was posted at SonisphereFestivals.com, Gray's red jumpsuit, his mask and his bass guitar, stood symbolically at the back of the stage alongside his bandmates, who also "turned the clock back to don matching red jump suits and old school style masks."

Playing bass at the concert was Donnie Steele, a former SLIPKNOTguitarist from the group's early days, although he was apparently hidden from the audience's view.

Frontman Taylor took a moment to mark the enormity and significance of the occasion, stating, "It's been a long time. Hello Athens, how are you? As you know, tonight is very emotional show for us but it is not, NOT, a negative day. It is a positive day. A day for celebration. This is our first show — with you. Are you having a good time and will you celebrate with us today?" Later in the show, he added, "This is very hard for us but he would have wanted us to come out with you all and celebrate his life. So will you all help me sing a song for my brother? Can you do that, Athens? Sing so loud so he can hear us because he is here with us tonight. Can you feel it?"

According to the review, SLIPKNOT closed out its set with a triple dose of metal medicine in "Spit It Out", "People = Shit" and "Surfacing", before Taylor humbly thanked the crowd for playing their part in a night neither the band nor the Athens fans will ever forget, saying, "Thank you all for spending this night with us. You'll never know how much this means, Athens."

The band's setlist was as follows:

01.(sic)
02.Eyeless
03.Wait And Bleed
04.The Blister Exists
05.Liberate
06.Before I Forget
07.Pulse Of The Maggots
08.Disasterpiece
09.Psychosocial
10.The Heretic Anthem
11.Duality
12.Spit It Out
13.People = Shit
14.Surfacing

Corey Taylor urges fans to relax regarding future of Slipknot.

Corey Taylor, playing a hometown show last week with Stone Sour gave a review to the Des Moines Register regarding his future with Slipknot. Here is an excerpt:

On whether he is excited to perform with SLIPKNOT again:

"I hope it goes well, I guess, but at the end of the day, it's about [late SLIPKNOT bassist]Paul[Gray] and what he meant to this band and the fans. People need to stop being so overly eager and let us take this one step at a time. I'm not a guy you want to force into a corner. I'll walk away."

On the writing process for STONE SOUR's latest album,"Audio Secrecy":

"I think the real thing that changed for me is how far I was willing to go talking about things I was going through up to that point. I was letting go of the aggression attached to relationships with women, my family and friends. I decided to stop playing it safe and let these dogs loose. At the end of the day it was easier for me to drop the chain and not worry about anyone else's feelings. It was more important to sort out my own."

On his first book,"The Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Goods", which covers topics like his troubled family life growing up, knowing it didn't always present them (or himself) in the best light:

"When you're the main character, you've got to go there. I didn't have the best life growing up, but I don't blame them. I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't go through that. I know I couldn't hold back and had to really go there. That's how I've always written, lyrically, and from the reaction I've seen, people really enjoy that."

Taylor's book comes out in July and can be pre-ordered here:

Slipknot release Paul Gray tribute shirt.

Slipknot, in conjunction with the charity Music Cares has teamed up to create a special tribute shirt to Paul Gray.  Proceeds from the shirt will go directly to struggling musicians and come in sizes small and medium. There is an image of Paul's number "2" on the front with a picture of him on the back.  Grey died ten months ago from a drug overdose at age 38.

For the band's upcoming tour of Europe and South America the band has tapped original Slipknot guitarist Donnie Steele top fill in for Gray. There are no plans to add a permanent replacement at the present time and speculation is rampant as to the bands future as a recording a touring unit.