ABC/Randy HolmesSince they concluded their first tour last year, Prophets of Rage have returned to the recording studio to work on new material. Reflecting on the trek, which saw three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine team up with rappers Chuck D and B-Real, bassist Tim Commerford says he "couldn't have asked for anything more."
"It was a great experience," Commerford tells ABC Radio. "I got to perform for people that were excited, and I saw mosh-pits in a day and age where there are no mosh-pits anymore. We still incite that sort of attitude at our shows, and it was great."
Rage Against the Machine hasn't played a show since 2011, so the Prophets tour allowed Commerford to play Rage songs again with band mates Tom Morello and Brad Wilk.
"It's always great to play those songs. I love playing with Brad and Tom, we have a special chemistry that no one's been able to really replicate," Commerford says. "We never really talked about what we were going to do as a band, but there's something special that happens when we come together and play music."
Naturally, Prophets of Rage carried a clear political message on their tour, which was met with a few detractors. Commerford remembers when they played San Francisco, and were booed when they took the stage wearing Colin Kaepernick jerseys, the quarterback who protested the national anthem during this year's NFL season.
"When they started booing, we started playing the national anthem, and then we went down to one knee," Commerford recalls. "It was pretty spectacular, I loved it. So that's an example of that: even if people are going to see you, and even if those are your fans, if you take a left-of-center stance, you run the risk of getting booed."
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.