The history of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted rap-metal firebrands Rage Against The Machine and multi-platinum progressive alternative metal outfit Tool is likely more intertwined than you’re aware. Of course there’s the obvious ties, with Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan briefly guesting on “Know Your Enemy” from Rage Against The Machine‘s 3x platinum self-titled debut album.
However, that pairing was more an extension of the long-term friendship between the two bands’ respective guitarists, Tom Morello and Adam Jones. Both were high school friends and later roommates, and also played together in an high-school band dubbed The Electric Sheep before each going on to find fame in their own way. Throughout the decades since, the pair have remained friends.
Yesterday, December 16th, Morello took to the internet to give a ‘holiday shoutout’ to his aforementioned former bandmate, while also detailing the impact Jones had on him in his formative years. Here’s what Morello had to share:
“Shoutout to my old friend @adamjones_tv. Always a tremendously creative and innovative VISUAL artist, Adam was also the bass player and sole talented musician in our high school band, #TheElectricSheep. He showed me chords, “pinch” harmonics, drove us to see @judaspriest at Alpine Valley in his pick up truck for inspiration and was ceaselessly encouraging to me when I was a beginning guitarist.
Adam was my roommate briefly when he first landed in LA and paid his rent by sharing his extensive (and exotic) VHS collection with us. He was also responsible for helping jump start my career when he dragged me out of bed on a work night to go all the way downtown to Al’s Bar where a great band called Lock Up was playing. I later joined the band and got a record deal.
I was impressed when Adam landed a job at Stan Winston Studios and became a successful prosthetic make up artist, working on Jurassic Park and the Nightmare On Elm Street movies. I saw his band @toolmusic at their first show and was stunned.
They arrived fully formed and fully great. They also were kind enough to invite #rageagainstthemachine to open for them numerous times in Hollywood clubs which greatly helped grow our following and get us attention. I’m proud and pleased that all these years later he and his band are thriving and kicking ass around the world. Cheers buddy! #HolidayFriendShoutOut”
Jones in kind shared a screencap of Morello‘s post, wishing a, ‘happy holidays from The Electric Sheep‘ on his Instagram stories.
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