Corey Taylor is rarely at a loss for words, and he proved that yet again in a new op-ed for Rolling Stone.
Among the things Taylor addresses in the piece are his upcoming solo tour and cancel culture, which is always a hot-button topic.
Taylor mentions that his upcoming tour, which kicks off May 18 and runs through June 19, will feature very strict adherence to protocols to mitigate the spread of COIVD-19.
“As much as we wanted it, we knew we had to do it right — too much riding on it, from our health to our pocketbooks,” writes Taylor. “We knew we’d have to get down to the minutiae to make sure we were doing it by the book, regardless of what local or state mandates were or were not in place. We are going to have pod seating, temp checks, social distancing, masks at all times except in those pods, waivers signed saying you understand what’s up, etc.”
He also touches on how this tour isn’t just so he can get back out there and feel like a rockstar again; it’s also to help get the concert industry going again.
“…To me and everyone in my industry, we know that there are thousands of people who depend on us to make their livings, and they need the great gears to churn and the rust to fall away from the ‘live scene’ so we can all get back to work,” says Taylor. “It’s the life’s blood for millions: the people who book us, the clubs who host us, the techs and management who help us, the drivers on our busses, the bands who accompany us, the promoters who start the screaming and finally, the fans we bring the show to because they need it just as much as we do, after 365 days stuck in our caves. People need release and we’re ready to give it to them.”
Now, as for the topic of cancel culture, he weaves that in be acknowledging how when his tour was announced, he’s not surprised that some would just read a headline and presume no precautions were going to be in place. Taylor relates that to the over-arching problem of people reacting first and not taking a moment to read into something before crafting an opinion.
“Come to think of it, most people only read the headline for any story, and head straight for the meltdown without even taking a second to see if their suspicions are correct or not,” writes Taylor. “They are only interested in joining the choruses of the incorrigible, the hordes of the abhorrent who keep little love in their hearts because they’re too busy looking for the next big thing to hate. Welcome to the Outrage Age.”
Taylor makes a number of points about how holding people and systems accountable for inappropriate behavior is a good thing, but also says people need to be informed and need to let smaller issues go so they don’t overshadow real issues.
“I’m not saying there aren’t things that deserve our attention,” explains Taylor. “I’m not saying that things shouldn’t change in so many different ways. I’m not even going to tell you that you have no right to be passionate on social change. What I’m saying is pick your spots, know what the hell’s going on before you go chasing after people with pitchforks for no f—ing reason whatsoever. There’s so much to be done on so many different things, you don’t have to protest everything that someone tries to hoist up the pole as a red flag.”
Taylor has been talking about cancel culture in recent interviews and said earlier this month he’s thinking his next book will address the matter. If this op-ed is any indication of what his book will look like, he appears to be off to a solid start.