GhostWiper asks:
Why are you so fucking cool?
Guardian contributor There have been great swathes of my timeline in which cool would not exactly be how I would be described by my peers. There was a long Dungeons and Dragons phase, a lingering Trekkie commitment, a Jheri curl hair situation, and some Spandex nonsense. None of which you might mistake for "cool". I've always looked at it like this - I'm a kid from the Midwest, who loves rock'n'roll and radical politics unapologetically, and while I work in the "cool factory", I never touch the stuff myself.
MotherPuncher asks:
What’s your songwriting process? Jam riffs until something sounds good, maybe more structured? Do you ever give instruction on beats to drummers?
Guardian contributor While different songs are written in different ways, I've greatly enjoyed the songwriting process on the Atlas Underground record. Where I've curated a diverse group of collaborators from Wu-Tang Clan to Marcus Mumford, from Bassnectar to Steve Aoki, from Killer Mike to Rise Against, to forge exciting new sound. Sometimes I would send a riff tape to Knife Party, of five hot riffs and some crazy guitar sounds, and they would replace their synthesisers with my Marshall stack mayhem to create the hybrid. Other times Gary Clark Jr and I would jam for hours, and I would edit it down to the musical Molotov of Where It's At Ain't What It Is. I always want to push myself as a guitar player and an artist, and find new ways to express myself and trip you out.
The Christmas No 1 was a spectacular example of People Power and the free show we performed at Finsbury Park was the greatest night in the history of RATM
bluehamster asks:
How did you feel about getting the Xmas No 1 in the UK?
Guardian contributor The Christmas No 1 was a spectacular example of People Power. While the band had very little to do with the dethroning of Simon Cowell's X Factor sugar-shit, it was a movement of the fans that made it happen. The subsequent free show that we performed at Finsbury Park was the single greatest night in the history of RATM and I will remember it forever.
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aliciawan92 asks:
Matt Bellamy from Muse has always been a huge fan of RATM (they often incorporated your riffs into their live shows), so, which is your favourite Muse song and album and why?
Guardian contributor Knights of Cydonia is my jam - while I hear a RATM influence, Muse has obviously defined themselves in an incredibly unique way, with the spectacular vocals and inspiring song arrangements that are at their peak in the epic Knights of Cydonia. Which I am listening to right now - thanks for the prompt!
euro3000 asks:
What is your favourite riff of all time, and which of your own riffs do you get the most joy from playing?
Guardian contributor Wow. I have many favourite riffs but I'll name a few now, because I refuse to pick just one. You're not the boss of me.
Led Zeppelin's The Ocean, Out on the Tiles and Moby Dick are badass riffs. As is the entire Black Sabbath catalogue. Jane's Addiction's Mountain Song, Soundgarden's Loud Love, also make the list. In my own catalogue, I'd say Killing in the Name, Know Your Enemy and Cochise are pretty strong. The end of Bullet in the Head, and the opening riff of Battle Sirens on the Atlas Underground album are no joke either.
Attempting to copy the sound of a blender or a rhinoceros made me think of the guitar in a different way
Jojocliste asks:
How complicated was it to make those guitar sounds back in 91/92? Has technology made it easier now?
Guardian contributor When I decided I was the DJ in RATM, I began practising in a very non-traditional way. I would try to recreate sounds in my environment. From vacuum cleaners to helicopters to trips to the zoo, there was no sound that was ruled out in providing inspiration. And by attempting to cop the sound of a blender or a rhinoceros, it made me think of a guitar in a very different way. The electric guitar is a relatively new instrument on the planet and merely consists of a piece of woods, six wires and a few electronics, that can be manipulated in a myriad of ways, to create tonal stock that can be the building blocks of songs in a very non-traditional way. I have ignored all new technology. And continue to rely on the same grubby effects pedals I had in 1992, and my imagination, and innate stubbornness and creativity.
On all of the RATM records, we wrote "all sounds made by guitars, bass and drums", because you might mistake the curious noises therein for sampling, sequencing or DJ scratching. And it's been a badge of pride to continue that tradition of seeking out non-traditional sounds to make kick-ass rock'n'roll.
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There's never been a political litmus test for enjoying our music. The message is in the moshpit
Thomas Newnham asks:
Do you think there are fans of your music who are oblivious to your political message?
Guardian contributor Obviously there are fans of diverse political persuasion that can get down with Rage, Audioslave, Prophets, the Nightwatchman or the Atlas Underground. THere's never been a political litmus test for enjoying this music. However, be careful, because you might learn something. I believe that inclusion, musically, can lead to education, politically. And I've found that to be the case many times over. The message is in the moshpit. And in the Atlas Underground, the message is also on the dancefloor.
While I never condone uniting with Nazis and racists, I recognise that people have different levels of political awareness, and that music can be an important introduction to ideas that go beyond those that are spoonfed in your home, school and via the media.
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Rather than lamenting there's no Killing in the Name in the charts, write your own song. We'd love to hear it
Rich Barrett asks:
I think it’s a shame this generation don’t have their own anthems like Killing in the Name, You Oughta Know, Fight the Power, Fuck the Police and Teen Spirit. Do you feel disheartened that the current zeitgeist isn’t producing such powerful music in the mainstream?
Guardian contributor Not so fast, sonny! Let me introduce you to the Atlas Underground, a sonic conspiracy of diverse artists bent on stirring shit up at home and abroad. The mere existence of a group of collaborators of divergent genres, divergent ethnicities, divergent ages, and divergent genders, is a statement in and of itself for these times. However in addition to that, we are on a rebel music mission, telling social justice ghost stories to bring the heroes and martyrs of the past, the voices of the voiceless, into the struggles of today and to shine a beacon to illuminate a more just and humane future. You are welcome to join us in this endeavour.
Rather than lamenting that there's no Killing in the Name or Smells Like Teen Spirit at the top of the charts, either dig a little deeper, or better, form your own band and write your Killing in the Name. We'd love to hear it.
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sevi m asks:
Your bands have made some of the most energetic music I ever heard, energy that got me through high school, and also university, when I worked two jobs and hardly slept. But working towards political change for years can become exhausting, lots of activists get burned out. How do you maintain a positive outlook?
Some suggest the world is actually a better place today than it ever has been. How do you respond? (See, for example, Oliver Burkeman, 28 July, or Steven Pinker feature by Andrew Anthony, 11 Feb)
Guardian contributor It is possible to get burned out engaging in the work of changing the world. But it is only via work that the world gets changed. I'm committed to combining my convictions of a more just and humane society with my vocation of shredding my ass off. It is via music and the recognition that I am a link in a cultural chain of radical artists that use the weaponry of our instruments to confront injustice. The recognition that each of us, in our own place and time, can be an agent of change, is what motivates me. Those who have caused significant societal transformation had no more power, courage, intelligence or means than each of you reading this. But history is not waiting for you. You either grab the wheel, or let some other sons of bitches drive this planet into a ditch - the choice is yours.
ClaireinCoventry asks:
Beans on toast or egg on toast, you’ve got three seconds, which do you choose?
Guardian contributor Really. I flew six thousand miles to answer these questions. Really?
Haigin88 asks:
An honest appraisal of your singing voice please Tom … ?
Guardian contributor I anticipate being victorious on the next X Factor with my six octave range, and rich, milk chocolate baritone timbre. What are you really getting at?
Guardian contributor I wheeze less than Dylan, and I have a broader vocabulary than Donovan. So I'll repeat, what are you really getting at?
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Greatbluepassports asks:
Favourite song of the year so far? Personally I’m loving, PHUK by Orbital
Guardian contributor Blood in the Water by Grandson. Musically heavy and rocking; lyrically inspiring and badass. I was so rocked by this song that I did my own remix of it.
Arthur Sternom asks:
Given his theft of your name and IP for his ridiculous podcast, any chance you might ‘accidentally’ give Nigel Farage the dry slap he needs?
Guardian contributor I am open to accidentally giving Nigel a dry slap, if I encounter him on the tube. Though I doubt he rides the tube for fear of all the dry slaps he would receive. Regardless, that son of a bitch better stop using RATM as an underpinning for his racist diatribes, or we're coming for him. Warning issued!
Scott McLennan asks:
Your guest shows with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street band were phenomenal, despite the way Bruce added unexpected songs into the set which would have thrown a lesser guitarist. Even so, were there any moments when you broke out in a cold sweat?
Guardian contributor Learning hundreds of songs in preparation for playing with the E Street Band was a challenge. I was constantly surprised by the random additions to the set nightly. While prior to playing with Bruce, this sort of intuitive-ness was not a part of my repertoire. It became a matter of learn fast or die trying. On our last US run, in 34 shows, we played 182 different songs, including one night where the first, the First, THE FIRST, THE FIRST SEVEN SONGS were songs the E Street Band had NEVER played before. And the eighth song was Jump by Van Halen. Boom! I've got this one! I played the solo note for note.
Let me describe the process. Bruce would take requests and gather signs from the audience. And then pluck one, face it stage right and left, and the amount of time you had to learn the song was during his 1,2,3,4 count off. And the song begins, ready or not. There were only a couple of occasions where I either totally flubbed, or secretly turned my volume off. And mimed along.
At the formation of RATM I had the revelation that I was the DJ in the band – and the blinders came off
jan van den bos asks:
- Do you smoke weed with B-Real?
- How is your relationship with Zack de la Rocha?
- What’s difference between touring with RATM and now?
- Which country is your favourite?
- Do you think RATM with Zack will ever come back?
- Who did you learn to play guitar from? And what made u experiment with sounds so much?
Guardian contributor I have never smoked weed in my life. Though the second hand smoke that I ingest in the company of B-Real is astonishing. When Prophets of Rage are on tour and travelling between hotel and gig, we travel in two vehicles - one dubbed The Roasters' Van, in which B-Real presides, and one known as The Christian Bus, where Chuck D and I catch up on our reading. And talk baseball.
Guardian contributor I am a self taught guitar player. I took two lessons when I was 13 years old, hated them so much that I put the guitar in the closet for four years. I began playing at 17 because punk rock music made me realise I could do it too. I then began practising up to eight hours a day trying to ape my favourite shredders: Randy Rhoades, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen. After amassing considerable technique, I realised that I did not have my own voice on the instrument, and began practising the eccentricities in my playing. At the formation of RATM I had the revelation that I was the DJ in the band - and the blinders came off. I felt like there were no sonic boundaries to what I could explore on the guitar.
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martin6127 asks:
Would RATM play a show in support of a second Brexit referendum......?? Right now we need “fists in the air in the land of hypocrisy”..... xx
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10thOfTheTenth asks:
A plethora of artists have developed in your wake, my question is what current musicians do you regard as operating on the same wavelength? I would also love to get your opinion on Death Grips – would you be open to a collaboration?
Guardian contributor The artists that I've been inspired by most recently have the same feel and heaviness and tension in their work of my favourite rock'n'roll, but they come from a different genre. Knife Party, Bassnectar, Skrillex - who I've collaborated on my Atlas Underground album - all rock my in a very contemporary way. And inspire me to try and create a brand new genre of music, that pairs my Marshall stack fury with their electronic wizardry. PS the album is out October 12, but you can check out my collaborations with Knife Party and Bassnectar now, everywhere.
texavery asks:
Have you ever bumped into Bono? If so, what happened?
Guardian contributor I don't know if I've actually bumped into him, but I've known him for a long time! It was U2's Joshua Tree and Unforgettable Fire cassettes that got me through my horrific work life when I first moved to Los Angeles, and probably saved me from entering the annals of white collar office mass murderers. I was an alphabetiser for the FDIC when they were transitioning from paper files to computers, so in the midst of eight hours of alphabetising a day, I clung to the thin hope that I might still be human in the uplifting tune-age of U2. Bono and my mum, who turns 95 in a couple of days, are also great friends and have a wonderfully interesting friendship.
Ianw888 asks:
What is the greatest political song ever written?
Guardian contributor While there are multiple contenders, I'm gonna go with John Lennon's Imagine. A radical anarchist manifesto, wrapped in such a beautiful melody, that most people don't realise he's advocating for the destruction of the state, religion, and capitalism.
daveygravey asks:
Who is the best guitarist in the world playing today?
Guardian contributor You've stumped me. All music is subjective, and I love the playing of diverse guitarists from Buddy Guy to Steve Vai to Jack White and Matt Bellamy. There is less innovation and surprising twists and turns than I would like in today's landscape, but that's where I come in...
SinSmithy asks:
Is it true you taught Layne Staley to play guitar – was he a good student?
Guardian contributor That is not true! And I suspect he would not have been a good student... Layne was a very smart, very funny person with a great, self-deprecating humour. We would often argue about which was more metal than the other, and I miss him a lot.
I realised that a few minor chords and the right devastating couplet can be heavier than an entire Sepultura album
Chonged asks:
I saw you performing with the Nightwatchmen a few years back and enjoyed it thoroughly, there is a noticeable move towards more traditional protest songs than you are known for. Could you elaborate on some of your influences?
Guardian contributor I am the Nightwatchman, for the sake of clarity! And the backing band is the Freedom Fighter Orchestra.
The principle influences for my radical political folk music are Woody Guthrie, early Dylan, Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and Tom Joad albums, and Johnny Cash. I've always been drawn to heavy music and came to the realisation that a few minor chords and the right devastating couplet of poetic indirection can be heavier than an entire Sepultura album.
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My political views were set before Rage Against the Machine formed. I was RATM's intention to play music we loved with ideas we believed in
VKK1989 asks:
Did RATM’s success alter or change your political views? Was the intention at RATM’s inception to be a voice for the left or was it something that occurred organically?
Guardian contributor My political views were well set a decade before RATM formed. It was simply RATM's intention to play music we loved and express ideas we believed in. We had no anticipation of reaching a global audience. And when we were confronted with that reality it provided both great opportunity and great challenges. The opportunity was to be a cultural force, engaged with the struggles of the day, with the potential to change the world. The challenge was negotiating competing visions within the band in order to continue the mission and effect change.
In retrospect, the major impact the band had was on the countless members of our audience who I run into daily, who tell me that their perspectives and life paths were greatly affected by the ideas they were exposed to via RATM. Where we fell far short of my political aspirations for the band were that the internal disharmony undermined the potency of the tangible grassroots work we could have achieved to a greater degree across the globe.
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Chris Cornell was the greatest rock vocalist of his generation. He was a melodic genius who would transform any music you threw at him
Richwag1234 asks:
Can you share what sort of person Chris Cornell was and what it was like to work with him?
Guardian contributor Chris, as you probably know, was the greatest rock vocalist of his generation. And one of the most talented songwriters and melody creators as well. He was thoughtful, and mysterious, and caring, and impenetrable. As a collaborator, he was a melodic genius, who would transform any music you threw at him, from big riffs to simple chord progressions, into towering works of fury and beauty.
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I am a Trekkie at heart. I think Captain Picard sorta looks like a white version of me
stubob asks:
What was it like appearing on Star Trek Voyager? Did you get to keep the uniform?
Guardian contributor I am a Trekkie at heart, and appearing in Voyager and the Star Trek movie Insurrection (don't forget that one!) was a nerd's dream come true. Yes, I kept the uniform and recently wore it to my kids' school gala.
What I love about Star Trek is the ethical worldview, the humour, and the intelligence of Gene Roddenberry's vision. I also think Captain Picard is fantastic, handsome, and sorta looks like a white version of me.
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GlobalGaz asks:
You’re one of the most innovative guitarists, what other musical instrument would you like to master?
Guardian contributor I am a failed French horn player, which was my first instrument, which I began at 9 and abdicated at 11. I remember clearly telling my mother at the time: "Music is not for me". I enjoy playing drums, bass, keyboards, banjo and mandolin, and harmonica. I would love to be a better piano player.
Tom Morello is with us now
Post your questions for Tom Morello
“My north star has remained the same since I was 16,” Tom Morello told the Guardian last year. “And that is that the world is run by people who don’t deserve to run it and the grotesque gap of social and economic equality is one that deserves all of one’s attention until it’s made right.” The guitarist, 54, has expressed that political righteousness through music ever since Rage Against the Machine exploded into view in 1992.
Since then he has formed Audioslave with the late Chris Cornell, and also Prophets of Rage, with Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real, and spent stints in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. In October, he will release a solo album, The Atlas Underground, featuring members of groups from Wu-Tang Clan to Mumford & Sons. At every step, his music has voiced resistance and promoted freedom, alongside his activism with the Occupy movement and campaigns for workers’ rights and immigration reform.
He is joining us to answer your questions about anything in his life and music, in a live webchat from 12.45pm BST on Tuesday 25 September – post them in the comments below and he’ll take on as many as possible.
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Thank you all for your thoughtful questioning. Or otherwise. It has been a pleasure engaging with you. I look forward to returning to your shores with the 2019 The Atlas Underground tour, as well as with Prophets of Rage, and until then, I'll see you in the pit. Take it easy, but take it.