Tim Rogers

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2013)

This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (January 2013)

Tim Rogers
Background information
Birth name	Timothy Adrian Rogers
Born	(1969-09-20) 20 September 1969 (age 43)
Genres	Rock, Country
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, Vocals
Years active	1989–present
Associated acts	You Am I, T&T, The Bamboos, The Hillbilly Killers
Website	timrogers.com.au youami.com.au
Notable instruments
Piers Crocker 'Crockenbacker' Fender Telecaster Fender Jazzmaster Guild JF30 Mini Maton

Tim Rogers (born Timothy Adrian Rogers on 20 September 1969)^{[citation needed]} is an Australian musician, actor and writer, best known as the frontman of Australian rock band You Am I. He is also a solo artist, and has fronted and released albums with bands The Twin Set and The Temperance Union.

History[edit]

Originally from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Rogers moved around a lot during his adolescence, including stints in Adelaide and Canberra. Following his primary school years in Applecross, a suburb of Perth, Rogers later became School Captain at his Sydney-based school, Oakhill College.^[1] He then went on to study law at the Australian National University.^[2] It was during this time that he met long time You Am I band mate, Andy Kent (bass player), who originally was You Am I's sound mixer.

Rogers formed You Am I with his school friend Nick Tischler and his own older brother Jaimme Rogers in 1989, though the lineup shifted around early on, settling on Andy Kent on bass and Mark Tunaley on drums. After the recording of their first album, Sound As Ever, Tunaley was asked to leave the band and Russell Hopkinson joined, forming the 'classic' You Am I lineup. Second guitarist Davey Lane — initially part of The Twin Set touring band — joined in 1999. (for more history on You Am I, see You Am I History)

Also in 1999, Tim released his first solo album, What Rhymes With Cars And Girls. Not intended as a sign of You Am I's demise, it was simply a case of Rogers having some songs and some time to himself:

I had some time alone and I found myself writing some songs and then I just thought, well it looks like You Am I's not going to be recording for a while, while we're waiting for albums to come out overseas, so I wanna make a record…^{[3][dead link]}

Recorded at Jen Anderson's (Weddings Parties Anything) home studio, the album showed a mellower side to Rogers' songwriting, being predominantly a country/folk affair, rather than the raucous rock You Am I were renowned for. Tim named the backing band for the album and consequent tour The Twin Set. He later won an ARIA award for Best Male Artist in for the album.

The initial release of You Am I's fifth album, Dress Me Slowly also contained a bonus disc entitled The Temperance Union EP, consisting of 8 songs Tim had recorded and written, mostly solo. He took the name of the EP — based loosely on the Woman's Christian Temperance Union — to name his backing band for his subsequent solo albums, starting with Spit Polish in 2004.

2005 saw the release of a Temperance Union double album, Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs, featuring various special guests including Missy Higgins, Donna Simpson and Rebecca Barnard.

In 2006, Rogers teamed up with long-time friend Tex Perkins to form T'N'T,^[4] eventually releasing the album My Better Half, an eclectic mix of acoustic originals and cover tunes. The album received mixed reviews for its minimal production values and "tongue-in-cheek" covers, such as Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night".

On 29 September 2007, Rogers released his fourth solo album, The Luxury Of Hysteria^[5] — it is the first album for which Rogers' name has been solely credited (although, The Temperance Union performed on the album). Rogers also created his own record label, Ruby Q, to deal with the release.^[6][7]

Writing for The Age newspaper (Victoria, Australia), Michael Dwyer wrote in an October 2007 review:

Tim Rogers never sounded as lost as on this strange, beautiful album .... The first three songs are troubled inner monologues. A Quiet Night In and When Yer Sad infuse the act of being alone with Shakespearean gravity. Much of the rest is like personal correspondence, written late at night when feelings are raw and references obscure. There's no mistaking the mood, though: regret and bewilderment bounce off each other like booze and smokes.^[8]

Australian music writer, Ed Nimmervoll, described the album as: "Reflective, brutally honest and painful- but never self indulgent …"^[5]

Writing[edit]

Rogers has written for Australian publication The Monthly on two occasions—a review of Don Walker's musical memoir Shots from March 2009,^[9] and a small non-fiction piece in December 2010.^[10] Rogers also wrote the cover feature article of the inaugural edition of the Australian bicycle magazine Treadlie in 2010, in which he covers topics such as baskets, song-writing and cycling outfits: "Just as I festoon myself in full North Melbourne kit circa 1975 to challenge both my hamstrings and mid-life plight at footy training of a Wednesday and Sunday, so shall my treadling brethren furnish themselves for celerity."^[11][12]

Acting, media and theatre[edit]

Rogers has been involved with two movie soundtracks over the course of his career, producing the Idiot Box soundtrack, together with Nick Launay, in 1999, as well as producing the soundtrack for Dirty Deeds, in which he also had a cameo appearance, together with You Am I. On both soundtracks, You Am I contributed several songs. Rogers has also frequently appeared as a television guest, on programs such as RocKwiz, Rove Live, Talkin' 'bout Your Generation and The Fat; he appeared in sketches as "himself" in the second series of The Micallef Program and in the "Be a Rock Star" episode of Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure. Rogers's interview on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope (15 September 2008)^[2] coincided with the September 2008 launch of You Am I's eighth studio album Dilettantes.

Along with You Am I's cameo in Dirty Deeds, Rogers has made various forays into acting. His first acting experience was a small cameo role in Jane Campion's Holy Smoke!, while his television acting debut occurred on the 28 July 2005, in an episode of ABC TV's medical drama series MDA. In MDA, Rogers played "Joel Palmer", a rock star who donates a kidney to a daughter he didn’t know he had fathered. Rogers also acted in the Michael Weisler short film Hunter Finkelstein that was shown at the 2005 Melbourne International Film Festival.^[13]

In late 2004, Rogers wrote a jingle called "Our Time Begins Again Today" for the Australian Cricket Board's summer promotional campaign "Long Live The Weekend".^[14]

In February 2009, Rogers made his professional stage debut at the Malthouse Theatre as 'The Entertainer' in its production of Woyzeck, a play directed by Michael Kantor, with music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.^[15]

Together with Dan Sultan and Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon), Rogers performed two Rolling Stones songs, "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up", at the opening ceremony of the 2010 NRL Grand Final.^[16]

In 2012, Rogers composed the audio for Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding at the Malthouse Theatre.^[17] During November and December 2012, Rogers acts and composes the music for The Story of Mary MacLane By Herself, by Ride On Theatre‘s Bojana Novakovic (script adaptation) and Tanya Goldberg (director). Rogers performs originally-written compositions for the play, accompanied by musicians, Dan Witton and Andy Baylor. As with previous stage productions, the play's Melbourne, Australia, season is held at the Beckett Theatre of the Malthouse Theatre complex.^[18]

Also in 2012, Rogers was the face of the Australian Football League (AFL) finals series, starring in a television commercial and a print advertising campaign. The advertisements, featuring the slogan, "This is Greatness", consisted of Rogers recounting some of the greatest AFL final moments in history.^[19]

Controversy[edit]

In 2003, a drunken Rogers taunted Australian Idol judge, Mark Holden, in an Adelaide airport terminal. He claimed that You Am I was told to 'make way' (from its record label) for new Idol winners. A physical altercation ensued and both parties were reprimanded by airport authorities.^{[citation needed]}

At the 2004 Falls Festival, in Marion Bay, Tasmania, You Am I was one of the headline bands. However, Rogers apologised midway through the band's performance and walked off the stage. Guitarist, Davey Lane, tried to stop Rogers, but the lead singer became aggressive and continued on his way.^[20] The Age newspaper reported:

Rogers threw his guitar onto the stage mid-song, saying he couldn't continue, and stormed off, pushing another band member who also walked off-stage looking upset ... Rogers also was involved in an incident backstage with singer Missy Higgins which left her visibly upset ... But Higgins recovered and joined Melbourne band The Beautiful Girls on stage to entertain the crowd when Rogers stopped playing.^[20]

Less than a week later, Rogers posted on the You Am I website: "I fucked up and take total responsibility for my actions. 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."^{[citation needed]} Rogers returned to Tasmania two months later to perform in the A Day On The Green series at Tolosa Park, alongside The Waifs and Pete Murray.^[21]

Personal life[edit]

As of August 2012, Rogers is a father of a daughter, and combines gardening, music and acting for financial support.^[22] In regard to the 1990s, Rogers revealed in 2012 that he is much happier at the age of 42 years than he was when he was in his mid-twenties:

I’m far more excited about anything currently, I’m enjoying more, I’ve read more, I’ve seen more. No nostalgia at all. A couple of good records … that I heard. Did some great travelling, but I travel better now, I was really sort of medicined up. I didn’t enjoy touring as much, we were doing some touring through Europe and the States and I enjoy doing those tours more now. I enjoy everything about touring and being in the band more now. I don’t think back on it anything less than fondly, but I’m so much happier at 42 than I was at 26.^[22]

An avid sports fan since childhood, Rogers enjoys the game of Australian rules football, and played in the 2005 and 2009 Community Cup charity matches for the Annual Sacred Heart Mission located in Melbourne, Australia. Rogers is a supporter of the North Melbourne Football Club and joined in the fight against the Australian Football League's push to relocate the club to the Gold Coast, Queensland. As part of the protest, Rogers hosted a benefit concert, called "Roo-sistence", that featured You Am I, T'N'T and other popular Australian rock bands.^[23] Rogers is also an avid fan of the South Sydney Rabbitohs Australian rugby league club.

Guitars and equipment[edit]

Over the course of his career, Rogers has been most associated with a series of Rickenbacker 360F copies made by Sydney luthier, Piers Crocker, affectionately known as 'Crockenbackers'. Rogers owns four-of-the-five Crockenbackers in existence, including a 12-string, bought after borrowing Brad Shepherd's Fender Coronado 12-string to record Hourly, Daily. Rogers bought his first Crockenbacker just before the recording of Hi Fi Way and has used them ever since. Previous to Hi Fi Way, his main guitar was a Gibson ES-345.^{[citation needed]}

Rogers has used various guitars alongside the Crockenbackers, predominantly Fender Telecasters, including a '52 Reissue, a 70s Telecaster Deluxe and a '72 Thinline Reissue. The latter guitar was given to Lane shortly after Lane joined the band. During the recording of Dilettantes, Rogers also began using Fender Jazzmasters, using them on all subsequent tours to-date, alongside the Crockenbackers.^{[citation needed]}

For acoustics, Rogers predominantly used a Guild JF30 dreadnought and a custom-built Piers Crocker acoustic. He has also been seen playing Cole Clark Fat Lady acoustics; although, he has also been seen with Maton acoustics at various times.^{[citation needed]}

Whilst recording Sound As Ever, Rogers became enamoured with Lee Ranaldo's Fender Tonemaster amplifier, and shortly thereafter, bought one for himself; he has used this amplifier for all You Am I work since the recording of Hi-Fi Way. For Rogers' work with The Temperance Union, he has used a Sunn combo amplifier.^{[citation needed]}

Rogers uses an overdrive pedal and a tremolo pedal, the latter custom made by Colin Bloxom, as well as a wah pedal and, occasionally, a Route 66 overdrive/compression pedal.^[24] Rogers also uses an overdrive pedal that was built by Ramblin' Guitars.^{[citation needed]}

Rogers has stated that one of his most important musical tools is a capo: "Probably 90 per cent of every song I've ever written involves a capo ... When first using one, the possibilities of things become realisations, and you could write in different keys and things. I think I want to be buried with one."^[25]

Backing bands[edit]

Over the course of his solo albums, Rogers has utilised the support of two main backing bands; however, membership between the two has overlapped.^{[citation needed]}

The Twin Set[edit]

Formed from the recording of What Rhymes With Cars And Girls, The Twin Set was country and folk-influenced. The band featured Jen Anderson (from Weddings Parties Anything), Lane (who would shortly afterwards join You Am I on lead guitar), as well as Stuart Speed and Ian Kitney, who would go on to form the rhythm section for The Temperance Union.^{[citation needed]}

The Temperance Union[edit]

Consisting of The Twin Set's rhythm section, together with guitarist, Shane O'Mara (from Rebecca's Empire and Paul Kelly's band), The Temperance Union maintained the country influence of The Twin Set, but added a rock 'n' roll element. After the recording of Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs, Speed passed away and was replaced by Peter Lawler (aka "Dr Pump").^{[citation needed]}

Discography[edit]

LPs[edit]

• You Am I:
  • See You Am I article
• with The Twin Set:
  • What Rhymes With Cars And Girls (1999) - #14 Australia
• The Temperance Union:
  • Spit Polish (2004) - #52 Australia
  • Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs (double album) (2005) - #48 Australia
• T'N'T (Tim Rogers and Tex Perkins):
  • My Better Half (2006)
• Tim Rogers:
  • The Luxury of Hysteria (2007)
  • Rogers Sings Rogerstein (2012)

EPs[edit]

• The Temperance Union EP (bonus eight-track EP released with You Am I's Dress Me Slowly digipack release) (2001)
• Vampires/Cleveland (limited edition 7" vinyl release recorded with The Temperance Union) (2004)

Movie Soundtracks[edit]

• Idiot Box (1999)
• Dirty Deeds (2002)
• Wish You Were Here^[26]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tim Rogers

• Official You Am I site
• Tim Rogers official site
• Tim Rogers at the Internet Movie Database