It appears that Slipknot have mistakenly revealed the identity of “Tortilla Man,” the mystery percussionist who replaced Chris Fehn early last year.
In a new virtual pop-up shop, up for sale, among other items, are neck gaiter face coverings resembling the mask of each Slipknot member. Upon the shop’s launch, Tortilla Man’s gaiter was listed as “Pfaff Neck Gaiter Face Cover,” seemingly confirming the long-held theory that the band’s newest member is indeed Michael Pfaff.
Fans captured screenshots of the Pfaff gaffe before the listing was changed to “New Guy Neck Gaiter Face Covering” once word quickly spread that Tortilla Man’s identity may have officially acknowledged.
Prior to this incident, Slipknot fans toiled away, looking for any possible clue that may lead them to Tortilla Man’s real name. Jim Root said he is a “world-class pianist” and has a college degree in music, which helped narrow down the list of possibilities.
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried attempted to throw fans off the scent, outing himself as the newest Slipknot percussionist, but Internet sleuths didn’t fall for it and remained steadfast in their pursuit. Connecting the dots, many posited that Clown‘s bandmate in Dirty Little Rabbits, Michael Pfaff (who played keyboard and organ in the group) was new member.
A video of an unmasked man walking with Slipknot through the airport surfaced, showing someone with the same slender build as Tortilla Man, with a likeness to Pfaff, lending credibility to the theory.
Later, what seemed to seal the deal at the time regarding the mystery identity, a photo of Clown, Jay Weinberg and another man (the same one from the airport video) at the Postojna Cave Park in Slovenia was posted online, alongside a picture of the signature book, bearing the signatures of Clown, Weinberg and “Pfaff.”
Even so, Slipknot never made any official declaration regarding the true name of Tortilla Man, and the screenshot above is the closest we’ve come to receiving any official word directly from the band. It’s not shocking, especially considering that Corey Taylor, who will release his debut solo album later this year, said that even if fans figure it out, the band has no intention of confirming the news.
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