Future User frontman and bassist Tim Commerford recently convinced a back surgeon to let him film his spine surgery, which he then used to comment on the sorry state of American health care. Joining him was his Rage Against The Machine bandmate Tom Morello, along with Rush bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson (drummer Neil Peart did not partake). The musicians each take on the role of doctor, each more hilarious than the next, to complete the video for Future User’s “VooDoo.”
“I got the idea for the video after I ruptured a disc in my back and needed emergency surgery,” Commerford said. “As someone who often goes under the knife, I’ve always been a bit overwhelmed by the process, paperwork, approvals and costs. Luckily, I have insurance, but it got me thinking about all the people in this country who can’t afford medical treatment. I read an article recently that said there are over 40 million uninsured people living in the States, which is insane. I talked my doctor into letting me shoot the surgery, then explained the concept to Tom [Morello], who was totally into the idea. And of course, you can’t talk about universal health care without bringing Canada into the conversation, so I called Geddy [Lee] and Alex [Lifeson] and asked if they’d be part of it and was blown away when they said yes. And all that footage of my back being opened up is real, no joke.”
“VooDoo” is the fifth video in a series of Commerford commentary pieces. Previous Future User video “Mountain Lion” features Commerford injecting himself with steroids and then setting himself ablaze. (Lance Armstrong made a cameo in that one.) “Clockwork” shares a polarizing clip about police militarization in which Commerford waterboards tennis great John McEnroe. “Supernatural” is about the NSA/mass surveillance, and “Medication Nation” covers the controversy surrounding genetically modified foods.