(CelebrityAccess) — As Slipknot’s European tour kicks off the band’s lineup seems to be in turmoil with longtime keyboardist Craig Jones exiting the group and co-founder Shawn Crahan taking some time off from the band.
Ahead of the tour’s launch at the Nova Rock Festival in Austria on Wednesday, Slipknot percussionist and co-founder Shawn “The Clown” Crahan announced he will be sitting the tour out while caring for his wife while she battles undisclosed health issues.
“Hello to all of our fans, it’s the clown. I would like to take a moment to tell everyone that I’m back home supporting my wife through some health issues, and I’ll be back on the road as soon as I can,” he announced on the band’s social media.
The band then announced that longtime keyboardist Craig “133” Jones has officially stepped away from the group.
In a now deleted post via their social media a spokesperson for Slipknot said: “to our fans, Slipknot is announcing that we have parted ways with Craig Jones. We wish Jones all the best for the future,”
The band replaces the notice of Jones’ departure with a new image of an unknown masked individual, hinting that a replacement for their errant keyboardist has already been found.
Jones joined the Slipknot lineup in 1996, stepping in for guitarist Donnie Steele before transitioning to keyboards and samples.
Slipknot is currently on the road in Europe and are next scheduled to perform at the Greenfield Festival in Switzerland on Saturday.
