On Black Friday final month, Rage Towards the Machine bassist Tim Commerford unveiled his newest aspect challenge, 7D7D, with the trio’s first single “Capitalism.” The music’s upbeat music gives the right paradox to the anti-capitalist message on the coronary heart of its lyrics. “I wish to make music that isn’t political, however I simply can’t,” he tells me. “I don’t know why, however I simply can’t.”
The often stoic Commerford beams about how completely different the band’s music is in comparison with something he’s completed beforehand, with its bizarre time signatures and complicated instrumentation, together with using harp and saxophone (“I feel the guitar goes the way in which of the saxophone in the way in which that it’s not going to be the principle instrument in a band anymore,” he says).
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Along with working with 7D7D, which additionally consists of his longtime friends Jonny Polonsky and Mathias Wakrat and is signed to Ben Harper’s Mad Bunny label, Commerford spent his summer season on the street with Rage Towards the Machine for the primary time in 11 years. The long-delayed tour dazzled followers throughout North America, proving that the band’s songs imply simply as a lot as when initially launched almost three many years in the past. The Rage tour almost fell aside after just some days, when singer Zack de la Rocha tore his Achilles tendon throughout a present in Chicago. De la Rocha completed the itinerary by performing whereas seated, however what the general public didn’t know was that Commerford was additionally battling a big problem of his personal.
“I’ve been coping with some fairly severe sh**,” Commerford tells me. “Proper earlier than I used to be about to go on tour with Rage, I had my prostate eliminated, and I’ve prostate most cancers.” With the help of his girlfriend and two sons, the 54-year-old musician, who’s the embodiment of a chiseled rock star, immediately confronted the hardest battle of his life.
“I’ve been somebody that’s taken a whole lot of delight in being in form and taking good care of myself,” he says. “But it surely’s one thing the place both you’re both fortunate or not.”
Earlier than our dialog, the one individuals who knew of Commerford’s situation had been his household, bandmates and a tight-knit circle of shut pals.
Along with his most cancers, the musician mentioned his pleasure about launching 7D7D, touring with Rage and remaining optimistic.
SPIN: How have you ever saved a optimistic outlook?
Tim Commerford: You will discover your self in a state of affairs like I’m in the place it’s like, fuck, my complete life modified. With every little thing that occurs to me now, I’m wondering, am I feeling this manner as a result of I’ve most cancers? Am I dropping my hair as a result of I’ve most cancers? No matter it’s, it makes me surprise if it’s occurring as a result of I’ve most cancers. And prostate most cancers is a really, very, very powerful one as a result of it’s linked to your sexuality. It’s laborious to disconnect from that and while you’re pressured into that state of affairs, it’s a brutal psychological journey. I’ve been looking for help teams, and it’s laborious to search out individuals and laborious to speak about it. The struggling a part of it, the bodily struggling after the surgical procedure, I’ve by no means felt ache fairly like that. I’ve metallic plates in my head and cadaver elements in my physique. I’ve completed a whole lot of injury by sports activities and mountain biking and this form of factor and I’ve at all times felt like I had a extremely excessive tolerance for ache, and that sh** introduced me to my knees. After the ache went away, I nonetheless haven’t actually been in a position to rise up, though I’m understanding and doing sh**, however psychologically, the injury is extreme. It’s very laborious for me to not break down and get emotional.
It’s brave of you to share your story.
Thanks. I wasn’t planning on going right here with you till final night time. I’ve been struggling and it’s laborious. It may not sound like a lot, however to get by a dialog and never choke up and get emotional is a win for me. It’s somewhat victory. However then during the last 24 hours, I’ve been serious about it extra, and a bizarre factor occurred. I used to be with my girlfriend and we had been watching the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame ceremony on TV. Duran Duran was on and I used to be like, ‘Ah, fuck, I used to study these songs once I was a child. I noticed them on stage and puzzled, the place’s Andy Taylor and why have they got this different man in right here?! Then it was like, ‘Andy Taylor is affected by stage 4 prostate most cancers and is unable to make it.’ My life is form of like that. There are lots of people who’ve it. There are lots of people who’re like, ‘The place do you go?’ You possibly can’t discuss to a therapist. You possibly can solely actually discuss to somebody who’s going by it.
I simply obtained my six-month take a look at, and it got here again at zero. I used to be like, ‘Fuck yeah!’ That’s the most effective I can really feel for the remainder of my life. Daily I get nearer to that take a look at is like, ‘Fuck man, is that this going to be the time when the quantity goes to go up and I’m going to the subsequent factor, no matter that’s?’ I already went by some ache and sh**. And I’m persevering with to undergo like, some loopy sh**.
How did you discover out you had been sick?
I went to get life insurance coverage however my PSA numbers had been up. I couldn’t get it. They wouldn’t insure me. At first, the quantity was very low — like one-point-something. I watched it over the course of a 12 months and a half, and it saved elevating additional. Finally, they did a biopsy and came upon I had most cancers, in order that they took my prostate out. I had been pondering, nicely, as a result of they’re watching it and let it get thus far, possibly it’s not that large of a deal. I blame myself. I ought to have mentioned, ‘my numbers are elevated and what does that basically imply?’ I ought to have taken it extra severely. I ought to have appeared into alternate remedy as an alternative of getting sucked into probably the most disgusting, capitalistic machine on the face of the planet: the medical institution.
Now I’m within the state of affairs that I’m in, which is, maintain your breath for six months. It’s not one and never one which I’m completely satisfied about. I’m simply attempting to seize ahold of the reins. It’s gonna be an extended journey, I hope. My dad died in his early 70s from most cancers and my mother died from most cancers in her 40s. Break up the distinction to 65 and I’ve obtained 10 years. I’m attempting to get to the 100-song mark — I’ve some objectives now. Songwriting has turn out to be a catharsis for me. Again to the unique query, how do I discover the time? That’s all I’ve obtained, is time
How had been you in a position to exit and play arenas with Rage this summer season?
Two months earlier than the tour, I had surgical procedure and my docs mentioned I wasn’t going to be prepared. That was brutal. I might be on stage my amp in tears. You then simply type of flip round and suck it up. Due to Zack’s harm, we had deliberate these little video interstitials that got here in between blocks of songs. We had been meant to go on stage, play some songs, go off stage, and on to the interstitials for a couple of minutes. It was seamless. Then he obtained harm and we couldn’t depart the stage. So throughout the interstitials, we’re simply sitting there. That was surreal. I might typically sit down and attempt to not take into consideration sure issues. It was bizarre. I saved it to myself all through the touring we did and it was brutal.
Did your bandmates know?
Yeah.
Primarily based on the movies from these exhibits, the performances, and the opinions, nobody would ever have suspected something was unsuitable.
That’s the way in which it went down. You possibly can nonetheless be in nice form. After I obtained my bodily, my physician mentioned I used to be in the most effective form of any 50-year-old he’d ever seen there. There’s loads of individuals which might be in nice form which have most cancers. And I’m hoping to proceed so long as I will be that. I work out religiously, and I strive my hardest to remain in form. I’m nonetheless very pleased with who I’m. After I first obtained identified, it fucked with me on that degree. However now I’m beginning to really feel this degree of, ‘I’m going to be the fittest motherfucker with most cancers that’s 54 that you simply’ve ever fucking seen in your life.’
That’s the most effective and solely means to take a look at it.
Simply attempt to see how good I can do towards that adversary, you already know? The darkish passenger. It’s powerful, man, however I’ve an ideal help system. I’m pals with Lance Armstrong, and he gave me some nice recommendation that most likely goes to increase my life.
The glass is half-full. That’s the fantastic thing about songwriting and bass taking part in. When my mother was sick, that’s once I realized the right way to play bass. After I was on stage with Rage, there have been instances that I wasn’t serious about most cancers for moments. After I play in 7D7D with Mathias within the studio, I don’t care what we’re doing. I am going right into a trance, and I simply utterly overlook about it. And it’s so lovely. After I get up within the morning, it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a brand new day. Dope!’ Then it’s like, ‘Oh fuck, I’ve most cancers’ and you’ll’t cease it. It places a darkish cloud on the day. After I go jam with Mathias, I simply tune out and it feels so good. Music has at all times been there within the hardest of instances.
It’s straightforward to inform with the vitality of the primary singles.
I obtained performed into the fucking greatest offender on planet Earth. You possibly can have a look at a rustic of Individuals the place lots of people don’t have insurance coverage. After which you possibly can try a few of the billionaires. And to me, that’s it. It’s not a joke. It makes me very, very, very indignant. I really feel offended by it on a excessive degree.
However what made the Rage tour so pressing was the charity aspect the band established. Few bands are as open about the place its charitable donations go.
It was a phenomenal factor. There are a whole lot of issues that occurred on that tour that had been wonderful. That display … earlier than we went on that tour, I used to be pondering, ‘Fuck that display. Let’s simply play with a fucking backdrop.’ Then Zack obtained harm and it turned a really useful gizmo. In Canada, it mentioned how indigenous ladies usually tend to be raped than different ladies. We had the details and figures up on the stage. It was a robust device.
How did 7D7D spark that inventive fireplace in you?
I wrote a file’s value of fabric. Mathias and I needed to put in writing 10 songs. Mathias’ neighbor is Ben Harper and he obtained into it. That truly was empowering, as a result of right here’s a man that comes from a special style, however one which I nonetheless respect, and he likes it. It was like, ‘Cool! Not everybody goes to hate it.’ Possibly I’ll be capable to play golf equipment in the future. I simply need to have the ability to get to love a spot in my life the place I can go play golf equipment and other people would possibly come to the membership to see us play.
What number of songs do you may have prepared?
We haven’t hit 20, however we’re shut. I’m going to get Logic and discover ways to use it. Then simply get 100 songs completed. I wish to be like, ‘Fuck yeah, I wrote 100 songs.’ I simply go in [to record] with nothing and get impressed by Mathias’ weird-ass drumming and construct on the spot. Like, we needs to be leaving right here with a music that’s completed. Tom Morello is the king of that. After we obtained along with Rage to put in writing our demo tape [in 1992], we had been like, ‘Fuck that. We’re making a file.’
Primarily based on every little thing you’re going by, it looks as if this razor-sharp focus is providing you with a optimistic sense of function.
It feels that means. All the things occurs for a purpose, and that’s what I at all times inform myself. That’s what lots of people say, however I actually consider that. It’s been laborious for me to think about most cancers and getting something good out of it. However there’s this little mild on the finish of the tunnel that I’m seeing proper now the place I really feel like I can get some actually strong goodness from it in different areas. I hope there’s one one that reads this and is like, ‘Fuck, I must get checked out’ after they discover out about it. It’s going to be OK as a result of they came upon about it, and for me, that’s ok.
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