RAGE BASSIST RELEASED
Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim C. was released on Friday (9/8) after spending the night in jail for clashing with security at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards the night before.
The bassist disrupted the show by climbing up a stage prop while Limp Bizkit were accepting the award for Best Rock Video.
Police removed Tim C. (Timothy Commerford) and "Big" Pete Beattle, an event security worker for Rage, from the venue in handcuffs.
An article on Rollingstone.com shed a little light on Commerford's bizarre behavior. Rage guitarist Tom Morello and vocalist Zack De La Rocha admitted the band thought about doing something unusual if "Sleep Now In The Fire" won for Best Rock Video. But their ideas were more along getting Fidel Castro—in town for the United Nations Millennium Conference—to accept for them.
"Earlier, Tim had mentioned something about toppling the podium if we won, for no particular reason, which seemed like a silly idea to me," Morello told Rollingstone.com. "Right before the award we were up for was announced, Tim asked Zack and me if he should do it. We both said no."
Morello added, "I had no idea what he was planning. I didn't expect an evening of Tim vs. the NYPD."
"I was so humiliated," said De La Rocha, who left shortly after the Commerford's climb, returning to his hotel room.
Video director Michael Moore, who attended the event with Rage, denied that Commerford's pre-show champagne consumption was the prime motivating factor in his climb, instead saying the bass player was "just bored" and agitated with certain aspects of the show.
"In America, we reward the mediocre," Moore explained. "The more you're like NSYNC, the faster and higher you'll climb. Rock and roll used to be about playing music that stood for something. Now, it's background music for Burger King and McDonald's commercials.
"I think the bass player of this band is against really bad MTV props."
Commerford was arraigned Friday morning in a midtown Manhattan court after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. The bassist was then released on time served after spending one night in jail. Beattle also pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of justice and was released on time served.
Upon release, Tim C. bolted to the Empire State Building, where he immediately shinnied his way up while beating his chest and claiming his love for Fay Wray.
Meanwhile, the making of the band's twice-postponed live album appears to be back on again. This time the band plans to record on Sept. 12 and 13 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
