page: 
 title: Tooling around 
author: Dino Scatena 

JUSTIN Chancellor knows he could be a rock star if he wanted 
to. "Obviously if we fancied it, we could get well into that 
scene," he says. "It's just not what we're really all about." 

Instead, what Chancellor and his bandmates are into, he 
explains, is being "normal people", "not massive 
personalities", "just musicians in a band that make good 
music". All this is made so much easier by the fact the band 
they're in is called Tool. 
You can be as cool or as boring as you like when your latest 
album debuted at the top of the charts in nations as far apart 
as Australia and the United States. 

The members of Tool are very serious about this anti-
celebrity stuff. Take this year's Grammy Awards. Despite 
being previous winners and up for another best metal 
performance award for their song Schism, the first single from 
last year's Lateralus CD, singer Maynard James Keenan and 
guitarist Adam Jones didn't even bother showing up. 

So when the band won, it was left to Tool's drummer, Danny 
Carey, and bassist Chancellor to accept. Carey thanked his 
parents and Satan. Chancellor thanked: "Alex Grey for doing 
the artwork, and my mum for doing my dad." 

By the time the awards were broadcast across the world, 
Carey and Chancellor were already on their way home. 

"It was cool," says Chancellor of his brief attendance at the 
glitzy night in Los Angeles. 

"We pretty much left after we had our thing happen. It's not 
really my scene. We had a drink, had a quick shot of tequila 
with Danny, and then we left. It was all very surreal. 

"If you want to be a big rock star and go to all the parties 
and stuff, then I guess it's there for you. But it's all a little 
distracting. The way the four of us are, we'd rather just get on 
with it. Have a private life and then, when it's time, go out on 
the road and do our thing." 

When the English Chancellor, formerly of a band called 
Peach, was invited to audition for Tool in 1995, the band was 
already well on its way. Their debut album Opiate in 1992 
drew an immediate response from American audiences, while 
1993's Undertow got the world's attention. 

Chancellor's first album with Tool, 1996's Aenima, moved 
Tool into the superband ranks, debuting at number two on 
the US charts. 

Last year's equally dark and heavy Lateralus – which came 
after a protracted battle with their record label regarding 
creative independence – had Tool vying for the title of 
biggest rock band in the world. 

Next week's Australian tour is their second in less than a 
year – they were playing sold-out shows only last July. 

"It has always been a really good experience in Australia," 
Chancellor says. (Tool have been regular visitors since 
1995.) "There seems to be a large amount of people that 
are really open to it, and open to being challenged a little 
bit." Tool play the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Monday. 



Posted to t.d.n: 04/24/02 23:13:22