Tim Commerford | |
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![]() Commerford in 2007 | |
Background information | |
Also known as |
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Born | Irvine, California, U.S. | February 26, 1968
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1988–present |
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Formerly of | |
Website | ratm |
Timothy Commerford [2] (born February 26, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, respectively, he has also been the lead singer and bassist of the bands Future User and Wakrat.
He was ranked eighth on Paste magazine's list of "20 Underrated Bass Guitarists" in 2014. [3]
Commerford was born on February 26, 1968, in Irvine, California. [4] Growing up, he was a fan of Rush, Gene Simmons, Sid Vicious, Steve Harris, and Geddy Lee. [5]
![]() | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(October 2022) |
In 1991, following the break-up of the band Lock Up featuring guitarist Tom Morello, the band's drummer, Jon Knox, encouraged Commerford and Zack de la Rocha to jam with Tom Morello. Tom soon called drummer Brad Wilk, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for Lock Up. This line-up went on to form Rage Against the Machine. After frequenting the L.A. club circuit, Rage Against the Machine signed a record deal with Epic Records in 1992. That same year, the band released their self-titled debut. They achieved a phenomenal amount of mainstream success and released three more studio albums.
Commerford's appearances on Rage Against the Machine's studio records have been marked with a running joke where his credits on the record were under nicknames, such as "Y Tim K" or "Tim.com".
On September 7, 2000, Commerford climbed atop onstage scaffolding during the MTV Music Video Awards, and disrupted the proceedings when Limp Bizkit won an award. Commerford was arrested that evening, and a disgruntled de la Rocha quit the band soon after.
After de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, music producer Rick Rubin suggested the three remaining members of Rage get together with then-former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, and "see what happens". The newly formed Audioslave later released their eponymous debut album in November 2002, which would attain triple platinum status. On February 15, 2007, Chris Cornell officially announced his departure from Audioslave, thus disbanding the group.
On April 29, 2007, Rage Against the Machine reunited at the Coachella Music Festival, and later played additional shows in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and England throughout 2007-2011.
Commerford co-founded the band Future User, together with Jordan Tarlow (keys), Jon Knox (drums) and producer Brendan O'Brien (guitars). Commerford plays bass and is the vocalist of the band. Commerford hid several months under the S.W.I.M persona on the first music videos, before unmasking himself in the "Mountain Lion" video. [6] In the band's first video, tennis player John McEnroe subjected himself to waterboarding. [7] The "Mountain Lion" video featured road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, a close friend of Commerford, [8] while a skateboarding Commerford appears to inject himself with a steroid. [7] [9]
In 2015, he formed "punk and hardcore-influenced band", named Wakrat. The band also features drummer Mathias Wakrat and guitarist Laurent Grangeon. The band debuted their first single, "Knucklehead", in September 2015. [10]
In 2022, Commerford launched a new project, 7D7D, with Mathias Wakrat and Jonny Polonsky. The group debuted their first single, "Capitalism", in November. [1]
In 2016, Commerford reunited with Tom Morello and Brad Wilk, and was joined by Chuck D and B-Real to form supergroup Prophets of Rage. They play covers from their Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill material, and new material as well.
Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk contributed to Maynard James Keenan's side project Puscifer and his album "V" Is for Vagina on the track "Momma Sed". Both have taken part in the production of Dave Grohl's 2013 Sound City soundtrack, with the track "Time Slowing Down". In 2010, Commerford was interviewed and appeared in the documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage . [11]
In 2001, Commerford married his longtime girlfriend, Aleece Dimas. They have two sons together. In November 2018, the couple announced they were divorcing. [12]
Commerford is a self-described "conspiracy theorist". In a Rolling Stone interview in 2015, he claimed that the Moon landing was faked and he confronted Buzz Aldrin about it at a John Cusack movie premiere. In the same interview, Commerford also stated that he does not believe ISIS is real and cast doubt upon the ISIS beheading videos: [13] [14]
They're not real. They're high-def. They have a soundtrack. The parts of those videos that you couldn't fake are edited out. At first, I thought it was edited out by our government so our kids wouldn't be seeing it on the Internet, but no. That's the way those videos came. The knife starts to cut the neck, and then it fades out. There's too much stuff that doesn't look real. They've edited out the parts that would be too hard to fake. We created Jihadi John and ISIS so we can go drop bombs. [13]
In December 2022, Commerford revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier in the year, and had undergone surgery prior to going on tour with Rage Against the Machine that summer. [15]
Commerford has been using various Music Man StingRay basses since 2016, a brand he has liked since his beginnings with Rage Against The Machine. [16] MusicMan released several custom Artist Series basses in 2021. [17] He previously used Fender Jazz Basses with Fender Precision Bass necks and Lakland basses. [18]
Rage Against the Machine
Audioslave
| Future User
Wakrat
Prophets of Rage
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Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. The band was known for melding heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences, as well as their left-wing views. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics first described Audioslave as a combination of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. Their unique sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock and 1990s alternative rock, with musical influences that included 1960s funk, soul and R&B. As with Rage Against the Machine, the band prided themselves on the fact that all sounds on their albums were produced using only guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, with emphasis on Cornell's wide vocal range and Morello's unconventional guitar solos.
Thomas Baptist Morello is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Under the moniker the Nightwatchman, Morello released his solo work. Together with Boots Riley, he formed Street Sweeper Social Club. Morello co-founded Axis of Justice, which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK in Los Angeles.
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against the Machine and his activism, de la Rocha promotes left-wing politics in opposition to corporate America, the military-industrial complex, and government oppression.
Bradley Joseph Wilk is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).
Lock Up was a rock band that featured Tom Morello on guitar before Rage Against the Machine was formed.
Renegades is the fourth and final studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine (RATM), released on December 5, 2000, by Epic Records, almost two months after their first breakup. The album consists of covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, The Stooges, MC5, The Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, Devo, and others.
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the second live album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on November 25, 2003, by Epic Records. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000. The album was originally planned to be released in November 2000, but was delayed due to the break-up of the band shortly after the September concerts. It was then slated for release a year later, but was again delayed due to the formation of Audioslave by the remaining three members of Rage with vocalist Chris Cornell. The album was released amid mixed reviews in November 2003, mainly due to poor mixing rather than musical performance, where on the other hand the DVD version was praised by fans and critics alike.
"Killing in the Name" is a song by the American band Rage Against the Machine, and appears on their 1992 self-titled debut album. It features heavy drop-D guitar riffs and lyrics protesting police brutality inspired by the beating of Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
"Know Your Enemy" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It features Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan on vocals during the bridge section, and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins playing additional percussion. Allmusic describes the song as "immediately memorable" and "surprisingly straightforward" while music critic Joel McIver cited it as "a standout track" of the album.
Live in Cuba is the first live DVD from the American rock supergroup Audioslave. Performed in front of an audience of 70,000 people, Live in Cuba is considered an historic event as it marks one of the few times that American musicians were permitted to play in Cuba. Despite the bureaucratic obstacles resulting from the ongoing United States embargo against Cuba, Audioslave received permission to perform in Havana and altered their tour schedule to play a free concert on May 6, 2005. With special approval by U.S. President George W. Bush and Cuban President Fidel Castro, the concert was organized through joint authorization of the United States Department of Treasury and the Cuban Institute of Music. At the time, guitarist Tom Morello declared that Audioslave was the first American rock and roll band to play a concert in Cuba. However, other American musical artists played in Cuba prior to 2005. At the Havana Jam in March 1979, Billy Joel, Stephen Stills, Weather Report, and several other American pop and jazz artists performed at Havana's Karl Marx Theatre. The Fabulous Titans, an American reggae/ska band, performed in Cuba in 1981.
"Show Me How to Live" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released in June 2003 as the third single from their first album, Audioslave, released in 2003. It peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and number 4 in the Modern Rock Tracks.
"Revelations" is a song by American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released in November 2006 as the second and final single from their third album Revelations and also the final single of their career.
The political views and activism of Rage Against the Machine (RATM) are central to the band's music and public image. Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1991. The band's line-up consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its "fiercely political music, which brewed sloganeering left wing rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop, and thrash."
Monica Hampton is a New York-based narrative and documentary filmmaker. Her documentary film credits include Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, the 2008 documentary on Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda and the 2008 documentary Slacker Uprising, a film about Michael Moore's 2004 tour across the United States. In 2005 she joined VICE (magazine) as Head of Production and Post Production of a new division of Vice Media created to make videos and documentaries, at the time the network would be called VBS.tv and would launch online in 2007. In 2000 she produced Kevin Smith's View Askew Productions' Vulgar, a narrative film directed by Bryan Johnson. She began her film career as an assistant director and production manager on low budget indie films in New York including Palookaville, Wishful Thinking and Chasing Amy. She appears in front of the camera uncredited in Chasing Amy, Dogma and Vulgar. She produced Barnaby Clay's documentary Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock (2016) about rock photographer Mick Rock and a documentary entitled Tickling Giants on Egypt's Bassem Youssef. Both films premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and both films were released theatrically in 2017.
Jonny Polonsky is an American songwriter, rock guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.
Future User are an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2013, consisting of bass guitarist Tim Commerford, multi-instrumentalist Jordan Tarlow and drummer Jon Knox. They describe their music as "Progtronic", combining electronic music with progressive rock. They have released one album, SteroidsOrHeroin, in 2015.
SteroidsOrHeroin is the debut album of progressive electronic band Future User fronted by Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave bassist Tim Commerford. It was released digitally on February 24, 2015, on the record label Middle Ring Partnership.
Wakrat is an American trio composed of Tim Commerford, Mathias Wakrat and Laurent Grangeon. The heavily alt-punk-influenced group released their self-titled debut album in 2016.
Prophets of Rage was an American rap rock supergroup. Formed in 2016, the group consisted of three members of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, two members of Public Enemy, and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill. The band disbanded in 2019, following the reuniting of Rage Against the Machine. During its three-year existence, Prophets of Rage released one EP and one full-length studio album.
I like Jazz basses. I've been playing Jazz basses with Precision Bass necks, and I'm almost thinking that I want to switch to Jazz Bass necks, because I have one regular Jazz Bass out here on tour and I end up playing that one because it's the most comfortable one for me.