Tim Rogers
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Tim Rogers (born Timothy Adrian Rogers 1968) is the frontman of Australian band You Am I. He is also a solo artist, as well as having fronted and released albums with bands The Twin Set and The Temperance Union.
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[edit] History
Originally from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Tim moved around a lot during his adolescence. Perhaps because of his rogueish, irreverent persona, he rose to the rank of school captain at his Sydney-based school Oakhill College. He then went on to study law in Canberra. It was during this time that he met long time You Am I band mate, Andy Kent (bass player).
Tim has also been known to enjoy a game of Australian rules football, most recently playing a 3RRR charity match for the Annual Sacred Heart Mission, Melbourne in 2005. In late 2004, Tim also wrote an ad jingle 'Our Time Begins Again Today' for the Australian Cricket Board's summer ad campaign.
Tim won an ARIA award for Best Male Artist in 1999 for the album What Rhymes With Cars and Girls?. He produced the soundtrack for the 2002 film Dirty Deeds, in which he also had a cameo appearance. Tim performs regularly around the country, and often forms collaborations with such esteemed artists as Lisa Miller and Tex Perkins.
Aside from the aforementioned cameo, Tim is slowly amassing other acting credits. He made his television acting debut on July 28, 2005, in an episode of ABC TV's medical drama series MDA. He played Joel Palmer, a rock star who donated a kidney to a daughter he didn’t know he had fathered. He also acted in a Michael Weisler short film called Hunter Finkelstein, which was shown at the 2005 Melbourne International Film Festival. He also had a bit part in Jane Campion's 1999 film Holy Smoke!. He has often appeared as himself on variety or entertainment shows such as RocKwiz, Rove Live and The Fat. He appeared in a sketch on The Micallef Program, ostensively as himself, where the host picked a fight with him about a song's similarity to Air Supply.
In 2003 there was an incident between Tim Rogers and Mark Holden in an Adelaide airport terminal. A drunken Rogers taunted Holden with claims that You Am I were told to 'make way' (from their record label) for new Idol winners. Holden gave Rogers the 'look' and fists flew, mostly in Holden's direction. Both parties were reprimanded by airport authorities.
At the 2004 Falls Festival in Marion Bay, Tasmania, You Am I were one of the headline bands. Tim staggered and slurred his way through the first few songs of their setlist, in between making comments about the "hippy shit" music performed by the other festival bands. After less than six songs he apologised for being an embarrassment to his mates and himself and walked off stage. Guitarist Davey Lane tried to stop him but Rogers became aggressive and continued. Less than a week later, Rogers posted on the band website:
- "I fucked up and take total responsibility for my actions,"
and:
- "I've got some problems with intoxicants that I haven't dealt with in a long time and it's come back and bit me".
Rogers returned to Tasmania two months later to perform in the A Day On The Green series at Tolosa Park.
In September 2005, Rogers released a critically-acclaimed double album with the Temperance Union entitled "Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs" with special guests such as Missy Higgins, Donna Simpson (The Waifs) and Rebecca Barnard.
In 2006 Rogers has been teaming up to Tex Perkins to form TNT /Tim n Tex. Their September release My Other Half is an eclectic mix of acoustic originals and cover tunes. Arguably it includes some of Rogers' finer solo writing, but has received mixed reviews for its minimal production values and tongue in cheek covers, such as Rod Stewart's Tonight's the Night.
[edit] Guitars and Equipment
Tim's best known for his 60's esque 'Crockenbacker' guitars, pictured above. These are replicas of the Rickenbacker 360 guitar, hand made by Piers Crocker based in Sydney. Tim has had several made for him over the years, possibly owning 4 of the 5 ever built by Crocker. In Australia at least, original 360s in good condition are very hard to come by, and not something you'd want to tour with. Tim borrowed a 12 string, hollow bodied Fender for the recording on the You Am I album Hourly Daily, arguably Tim's best and most iconic work to date. Shortly thereafter, he bought a Crockenbacker 12 string.
Around the time Davey Lane joined You Am I, Tim started Playing a Fender American Standard Telecasters. Primarily because he liked the look and found that with two guitarists, he didn't quite need the fullness of the Crockenbacker sound live.
In his solo work, he's played Guild JF30 dreadnought acoustics over most of his career. But for most of 2005, he has been playing an Australian made Cole Clark 'Fat Lady 2' acoustic guitar at his gigs.
Those who know of Tim's work will know he's especially fond of using a Capo and/or alternate tunings. His amp of choice consistently seems to be a Fender Tonemaster 2x12, which Lee Ranaldo hooked him up with in the Sound as Ever days.
Pedal wise, Rogers has a crybaby wah, and a homemade tremolo pedal. In the past he has used overdrive pedals such as Jekyll & Hyde OD and the Route 66 pedals. These days he goes for a more amp driven sound.
[edit] Discography
[edit] LPs
- with You Am I:
- See You Am I article
- with The Twin Set:
- What Rhymes with Cars and Girls? (1999) - #14 Australia
- with The Temperance Union:
- Bonus 8 track disc with You Am I's 'Dress Me Slowly' DigiPack Release (2001)
- Spit Polish (2004) - #52 Australia
- Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs (double album) (2005) - #48 Australia
- with TNT/Tim n Tex:
- My Better Half (2006)
[edit] EPs
- Vampyres 7" (2004)
[edit] Movie Soundtracks
- The Idiot Box (1999)
- Dirty Deeds (2002)
