For all the good Rage Against the Machine did, from instilling a generation of youths with a political mindset to delivering a then-mind-bending blend of hard-edged sonics and hip-hop grooves, the band’s legacy also includes the flood of bro’d-up, rap-rock renegades like Limp Bizkit who came in their wake. They routinely cover “Killing in the Name” live and Durst has often waxed poetic on how Rage’s music changed his life. “I really do”, he says. ‘Course the problem with that is that Commerford is apparently hilariously unaware that Limp Bizkit does, indeed, still exist, and is still touring regularly.
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Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Commerford is promoting his new band, Wakrat and he figured out the ideal way to get a few good publicity.
At the forefront of the latter, ahem, movement, was Fred Durst-led outfit Limp Bizkit. “And this next part” – RATM singer Zach de la Rocha’s repeated screams of “F**k you!/I won’t do what you tell me!”
“This is dedicated to the rap-rock band that started this sh**”, said Fred Durst.
Obviously, this does not sit well with Rage bassist Tim Commerford. “They’re gone, though. That’s the handsome thing”.
Regardless, this certainly isn’t the first time Commerford has taken umbrage with Limp Bizkit.
“It’s aged like wine”, Commerford recalls. When Rage’s “Sleep Now In The Fire” video lost to Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Commerford made headlines by attempting to break the stage setup. “What was uncomfortable and a little back in 2000, now I savour it”. What was that about?’ Now it’s like, ‘Dude, I saw you do that.
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“I wish I would’ve swung on that thing and brought it to the ground and just destroyed it”, he says.
