Slipknot bassist
[Photo via Wikipedia Commons]

Slipknot bassist says he switched instruments to join the band

Slipknot bassist Alessandro “V-Man” Venturella has been with the band for a few years and settled into his role now, but before joining he wasn’t much of a bass player.

In a new interview with Bass Guitar magazine, Venturella reveals he originally got a call from guitarist Jim Root about finding a replacement and eventually found himself in the band.

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The musician recalls getting to know Root while working as a guitar tech for Mastodon around 2014 when the band were looking for a new member.

“Me and Jim became friends while I was teching,” says Venturella. “He was asking if I knew any bass players. When I found out what for, I put my hand up right away. He pointed out, ‘But you don’t play bass?’ and I said something to the effect that I could do whatever he needed from me. Then I just had to make sure it was true!”

He further elaborates on the audition process, saying: “Everyone went to chat afterwards so I sat there playing piano, which I’d studied as a kid. They must have been wondering, ‘Who the fuck is this guy?’ Two weeks later I was hanging out with everyone and [founding percussionist] Clown said to me, ‘Right! Are you going to do it?’ I rang my mum straight away to tell her I wasn’t coming home.”

Later in the chat, Venturella discusses late-bassist Paul Gray and the legacy he had to follow while joining the band in their comeback following Gray’s death.

“My approach isn’t the same as Paul’s,” Venturella said in the chat that covers his technique, equipment and more. “I can’t be him and never will be, every player is ultimately born different. That said, if you listen to Paul’s note choices on ‘Vermilion,’ he was all over the shop and it sounded great. I wanted to try things like that.”

What do you think of Venturella not playing bass before joining Slipknot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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