Slipknot! will host their annual music festival, Knotfest, from October 24-26 in San Bernardino, CA, and have decided to use the connection between smell and memory to enhance fan experiences within the Slipknot culture. Thus, the festival will contain oil drums full of camel shit, which will burn throughout the entire weekend.
The festival’s press release reads: “Knotfest has its own aroma that will infest your brain, body and clothes for days after the festival is over. Personally picked by Slipknot themselves, the smell of Knotfest will permeate the festival grounds. Oil drums will be filled with camel shit… set aflame to last the entire festival.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan explained the odd choice, saying that they “did the camel dung on the first Knotfest. It was awesome; it was beautiful… [Fans] came into the museum and they had to be hit with camel shit. A very distinct smell. You can’t huff it, but it’s got this smell. And it’s not necessarily the most comfortable thing, but its not necessarily the worst thing, it’s just remembering thoughts — it’s gonna be a reoccurring thing.”
When asked where they were going to get all that camel shit, Crahan said, “I don’t want to get anybody in any sort of accusations of wrongdoing or whatever, but you have to get it from a zoo probably. How you get it from the zoo is not my origin of expertise. I just put out the order and the captains go out and get it done.”
Sounds like a fun job.
Knotfest will feature performances from many iconic metal bands, including Danzig, Anthrax, Testament, Carcass, Napalm Death, Fear Factory and Prong. But with all that camel shit burning around, will anyone be able to pay attention to the music?