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Tim Commerford

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Tim Commerford
Commerford in 2007
Commerford in 2007
Background information
Also known as
  • Timmy C
  • Y.tim.K.
  • Tim Bob
  • tim.com
  • S.W.I.M.
  • Tim the Bassist
Born (1968-02-26) February 26, 1968 (age 56)
Irvine, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Bass guitar
  • vocals
Years active1988–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Websiteratm.com

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]

Early life[edit]

Commerford was born on February 26, 1968, in Irvine, California.[4] Growing up, his musical idols were Rush, Gene Simmons, Sid Vicious, Steve Harris, and Geddy Lee.[5]

Career[edit]

Rage Against the Machine (1991–2000)[edit]

Main article: Rage Against the Machine

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.

Audioslave (2001–2007)[edit]

Main article: Audioslave
Commerford performing with Audioslave at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005

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 2022, which would attain triple platinum status. On February 15, 2007, Chris Cornell officially announced his departure from Audioslave, thus disbanding the group.

Rage Against the Machine reunion (2007–2011)[edit]

Main article: Rage Against the Machine reunion tour

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.

Future User, Wakrat and 7D7D (2014–present)[edit]

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]

Prophets of Rage (2016–2019)[edit]

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.

Other contributions[edit]

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]

Personal life[edit]

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]

Equipment[edit]

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]

Discography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hadusek, Jon (November 28, 2022). "RATM Bassist Tim Commerford's 7D7D Unveil Debut Single "Capitalism": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "CLOCKWORK". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Barrett, John (July 9, 2014). "The 20 Most Underrated Bass Guitarists :: Music :: Lists :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 2163. ISBN 9780857125958.
  5. ^ "FBPO Exclusive Interview with Tim Commerford". For Bass Players Only. June 14, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Tilles, Jay (January 27, 2015). "Who is Future User? New Band Reveals Identities in Exclusive Interview". Radio.com. CBS Corporation. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Lance Armstrong Talks Trash in RATM Offshoot Future User's 'Mountain Lion' Video". Rolling Stone. January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ^ Andriakos, Jacqueline (January 27, 2015). "Lance Armstrong Makes Cameo in New Drug-Related Music Video". People. Time Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  9. ^ Mandell, Nina (January 27, 2015). "Lance Armstrong makes cameo in new music video about PEDs". USA Today. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  10. ^ Bowar, Chad (September 25, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine Bassist Tim Commerford Forms New Band Wakrat Read More: Rage Against the Machine Bassist Forms New Band Wakrat". Loudwire. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  11. ^ Greene, Andy (June 16, 2010). "Rush "Fired Up" By Career-Spanning Documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Tim Commerford splits from his wife Aleece Dimas".
  13. ^ a b Newman, Jason (October 2, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine Bassist Gives Band Update, Talks ISIS, Trump". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  14. ^ Hartmann, Graham (October 2, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine's Tim Commerford: 'I Don't Believe ISIS Is Real' Read More: RATM's Tim Commerford: 'I Don't Believe ISIS Is Real'". Loudwire. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  15. ^ "Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford reveals prostate cancer". BBC News. December 13, 2022.
  16. ^ "Rig Rundown - Tim Commerford". YouTube.
  17. ^ "Ernie Ball Music Man: Tim Commerford Artist Series StingRay Bass". YouTube.
  18. ^ "Tim Commerford – Fender News & Tech Talk". fender.com. September 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2014. 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.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rage Against the Machine.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Audioslave.
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