Rage Against the Machine
Encyclopedia
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock
band from Los Angeles
, California
. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha
, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford
, guitarist Tom Morello
and drummer Brad Wilk
. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its "fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America
, cultural imperialism
, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail
of punk
, hip hop
, and thrash
." Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal
instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa
, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys
and Urban Dance Squad
. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide.
In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album
, which became a commercial success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza
. The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire
. The band's third album The Battle of Los Angeles
was released in 1999. During their initial nine-year run, they became one of the most popular and influential bands in music history, according to music journalist Colin Devenish. They were also ranked #33 on VH1
's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. The band had a large influence on the nu metal
genre which emerged during the mid to late 1990s.
Shortly after breaking up in 2000, the band released the cover album Renegades. De la Rocha started a low-key solo career in One Day as a Lion; the rest of the band formed the rock supergroup
Audioslave
with Chris Cornell
, then-former frontman of Soundgarden
, which disbanded in 2007, and in April of that year, Rage Against the Machine performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
. The band has continued to perform at many live venues and festivals around the world since 2007.
left his band, Lock Up
, looking to start another band. He was in a club in LA where Zack de la Rocha
was freestyle rap
ping. Morello was impressed, people said, by de la Rocha's lyric books, and asked him to be a rapper in a band. Morello drafted drummer Brad Wilk
of Greta
, who had previously auditioned for Lock Up, while de la Rocha convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford
to join as bassist. The newly christened Rage Against the Machine named themselves after a song de la Rocha had written for his former popular underground hardcore punk
band, Inside Out (also to be the title of the unrecorded Inside Out full-length album). Kent McClard
, with whom Inside Out were associated, had coined the phrase in a 1989 article in his zine
No Answers.
Shortly after forming, they gave their first public performance in Orange County, California
, where a friend of Commerford's was holding a house party
. The blueprint for the group's major-label debut album, demo tape Rage Against the Machine
, was laid on a twelve-song self-released cassette, the cover image of which was the stock market with a triple match taped to the inlay card. Not all 12 songs made it onto the final album—two were eventually included as B-sides
, with the remaining three songs never seeing an official release. Several record labels expressed interest, and the band eventually signed with Epic Records
. Morello said, "Epic agreed to everything we asked—and they've followed through.... We never saw a[n] [ideological] conflict as long as we maintained creative control."
, reached triple platinum
status, driven by heavy radio play of the song "Killing in the Name
", a heavy, driving track featuring only eight lines of lyrics. The "Fuck You" version, which contains 17 iterations of the word fuck
, was once accidentally played on the BBC Radio 1
Top 40 singles
show on February 21st 1993. The album's cover featured Malcolm Browne
's Pulitzer Prize
-winning photograph of Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese
Buddhist
monk, burning himself to death
in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by the US-backed Prime Minister
Ngô Đình Diệm's
regime. The album was produced by Garth Richardson
.To promote the album, the band went on tour, playing at Lollapalooza 1993 and as support for Suicidal Tendencies
in Europe.
After their debut album, the band appeared on the soundtrack for the film Higher Learning
with the song "Year of tha Boomerang
". An early version of "Tire Me
" also appeared during the movie. Subsequently, they re-recorded the song "Darkness" from their original demo for the soundtrack of The Crow
and also "No Shelter
" appeared on the Godzilla
soundtrack.
Despite rumors of a breakup for several years, Rage Against the Machine's second album, Evil Empire, entered Billboard's Top 200 chart at number one in 1996, and subsequently rose to triple platinum status. The song "Bulls on Parade
" was performed on Saturday Night Live
in April 1996. Their planned two-song performance was cut to one song when the band attempted to hang inverted US flags from their amplifiers ("a sign of distress or great danger"), a protest against having Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes
as guest host on the program that night.
In 1997, the band opened for U2
on their PopMart Tour
, for which all of Rage's profits went to support social organizations. including U.N.I.T.E., Women Alive and the Zapatista Front for National Liberation
. Rage subsequently began an abortive headlining US tour with special guests Wu-Tang Clan
. Police in several jurisdictions unsuccessfully attempted to have the concerts cancelled, citing amongst other reasons, the bands' "violent and anti-law enforcement philosophies." Wu-Tang Clan
were eventually removed from the line-up and replaced with The Roots
. On the Japan
leg of their tour promoting Evil Empire, a bootleg
album composed of the band's B-side
recordings titled Live & Rare was released by Sony Records. A live video, also titled Rage Against the Machine
, was released later the same year.
In 1999 Rage Against the Machine played at the infamous Woodstock '99
concert. The following release, The Battle of Los Angeles also debuted at number one in 1999, selling 450,000 copies in the first week and then going double-platinum
. That same year the song "Wake Up
" was featured on the soundtrack of the film The Matrix
. The track "Calm Like a Bomb
" was later featured in the film's sequel, 2003s The Matrix Reloaded
. In 2000, the band planned to support the Beastie Boys
on the "Rhyme and Reason" tour; however, the tour was cancelled when Beastie Boys drummer Mike D suffered a serious injury.
of artists as diverse as Devo
, Cypress Hill
, MC5
, The Rolling Stones
, and Bob Dylan
. Renegades achieved platinum status a month later. The following year saw the release of another live video, The Battle of Mexico City
, and 2003 saw the release of a live album titled Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
, an edited recording of the band's final two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2000 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
in Los Angeles. It was accompanied by an expanded DVD release of the last show, and also included the previously unreleased music video for "Bombtrack
".
After the group's breakup, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford teamed up with former Soundgarden
singer Chris Cornell
to form a new band, Audioslave
, after briefly searching for a vocalist to replace de la Rocha. The first Audioslave single, "Cochise
", was released in early November 2002, and the debut album, Audioslave
, followed to mainly positive reviews. Their second album Out of Exile
debuted at the number one position on the Billboard charts in 2005. The band released a third album named Revelations on September 5, 2006. The band vowed to have a "one-album-per-year" schedule, until the departure of Chris Cornell on February 15, 2007.
Morello began his own solo career in 2003, playing political acoustic folk music
at open-mic nights
and various clubs under the alias The Nightwatchman
. He first participated in Billy Bragg
's Tell Us the Truth tour with no plans to record, but later recorded a song for Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
, "No One Left". In February 2007, he announced a solo album, entitled One Man Revolution
, which was released in April 2007. Morello followed up his first studio album with "The Fabled City" which was released on September 30, 2008. During the latter of his career as The Nightwatchman, Morello joined up with Boots Riley
and formed the rap rock
group Street Sweeper Social Club
, which released its debut self-titled album
in June 2009.
Meanwhile, de la Rocha had been working on a solo album collaboration with DJ Shadow
, Company Flow
, and The Roots
' Questlove, but dropped the project in favor of working with Nine Inch Nails
' Trent Reznor
. Recording was completed, but the album will probably never be released. A collaboration between de la Rocha and DJ Shadow, the song "March of Death" was released for free over the World Wide Web
in 2003 in protest against the imminent invasion of Iraq
, and the 2004 soundtrack Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 included one of the collaborations with Reznor, "We Want It All
". In late 2005, de la Rocha was seen singing and playing the jarana huasteca
with Son Jarocho
band Son de Madera
on multiple occasions. Rage Against the Machine was ranked 33rd on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock list in 2005.
Members of the band had been offered large sums of money to reunite for concerts and tours, and had turned the offers down. Rumors of bad blood between de la Rocha and the other former band members subsequently circulated, but Commerford said that he and de la Rocha saw each other often and went surfing
together, while Morello said he and de la Rocha communicated by phone, and had met up at a September 15, 2005 protest in support of the South Central Farm
.
were circulating in mid-January 2007, and were confirmed on January 22. The band was confirmed to be headlining the final day of Coachella 2007. The reunion was described by Morello as primarily being a vehicle to voice the band's opposition to the "right-wing
purgatory
" the United States has "slid into" under the George W. Bush administration
since RATM's dissolution. Though the performance was initially thought to be a one-off, this turned out not to be the case.
On April 14, 2007, Morello and de la Rocha reunited onstage early to perform a brief acoustic set at a Coalition of Immokalee Workers
rally in downtown Chicago. Morello described the event as "very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included." This was followed by the scheduled Coachella performance on Sunday, April 29 where the band staged a much anticipated performance in front of an EZLN
backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival.
Rage Against the Machine continued to tour in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, and also played a series of shows in Europe in Summer 2008 including Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, Pinkpop Festival, T in the Park
in Scotland, the Hultsfred Festival
in Sweden, the Reading and Leeds Festivals
in England and the Oxegen
Festival in Ireland. The band also performed on August 2, 2008, in Chicago as one of the headliners (Radiohead
, Kanye West
and Nine Inch Nails
being the other three) for the 2008 Lollapalooza
Music Festival.
When asked in May 2007 if the band were planning on writing a new album, Morello replied:
Morello declined to comment about the possibility of a new album when interviewed by MTV News
in April 2008. In July 2008, it was revealed that de la Rocha had begun a new project called One Day as a Lion
with drummer Jon Theodore
formerly of The Mars Volta
, with an eponymous EP released on July 22, 2008.
In August 2008, de la Rocha revealed his take on the possibility of new material:
In August 2008, Rage headlined the free Tent State Music Festival to End the War in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. The band was supported by Flobots, State Radio, Jello Biafra, and Wayne Kramer. Following the concert, the band, following uniformed veterans from Iraq Veterans Against the War, led the 8,000 attendees to the Denver Coliseum on a 6 mile march to Invesco Field, host of the DNC. After a 4 hour stand-off with police, Obama's campaign agreed to meet with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and hear their demands.
In September 2008, Rage performed at the Target Center
in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention
. The previous day, they attempted to play a surprise set at a free anti-RNC concert at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul, but were prevented from doing so by the police. Instead, de la Rocha and Morello rapped and sang through a megaphone.
In December 2008, Tom Morello revealed that Rage Against the Machine shows in 2009 were a possibility, although plans for the band to record a new studio album were very unlikely. When asked by Billboard.com whether they planned to head to the studio in 2009, Morello stated that: "we've had a wonderful year and a half of playing shows, and I don't see any reason to not play more shows. The thing is there's only so many hours in the musical day, and mine are very occupied right now."
Morello elaborated that The Nightwatchman
is now "my principal musical focus, as I see it, for the remainder of my life. From the earliest days of playing open mic nights at coffee houses, it was apparent to me that this music was as important to me as any music I've ever been involved in. It really encapsulates everything I want to do as an artist." He repeated this point in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
However, After the "Rage Factor" celebratory show in Finsbury Park on June 6, 2010, after the campaign to get Killing in the Name to Christmas Number 1, Zack de la Rocha stated that it was a "genuine possibility". Stating that they may use the momentum from the campaign to get back into the studio and write a follow-up record to 2000s Renegades after 10 years. When talking to NME, Zack de la Rocha said: "I think it's a genuine possibility, We have to get our heads around what we’re going to do towards the end of the year and finish up on some other projects and we’ll take it from there."
by Jon and Tracy Morter, from South Woodham Ferrers
, which generated nationwide publicity and took the track "Killing in the Name
" to the coveted Christmas Number One slot in the UK Singles Chart
, which had been dominated for four consecutive years from 2005 by winners from the popular TV show The X Factor
. Before the chart was announced on December 20, 2009 the Facebook group membership stood at over 950,000, and was acknowledged (and supported) by Tom Morello
, Dave Grohl
, Paul McCartney
, Muse
, Fightstar
, NME
, John Lydon
, Bill Bailey
, Lenny Henry
, BBC Radio 1
, Hadouken!
, The Prodigy
, Stereophonics
, BBC Radio 5 Live
, and even the 2004 X Factor winner Steve Brookstein
, amongst numerous others.
On the morning of December 17, Rage Against the Machine played a slightly censored version of "Killing in the Name" live on Radio 5 Live, but four repeats of 'Fuck you I won't do what you tell me' were aired before the song was pulled. During the interview before the song they reiterated their support for the campaign and their intentions to support charity with the proceeds.
The campaign was ultimately successful, and "Killing in the Name" became the number-one single in the UK for Christmas 2009. Rage's Zack de la Rocha
spoke to BBC1 upon hearing the news, stating that:
The band also set a new record, achieving the biggest download sales total in a first week ever in the UK charts. de la Rocha also promised the band would perform a free concert in the UK sometime in 2010 to celebrate the achievement. True to their word, the band announced that they would be performing a free concert at Finsbury Park, London on June 6, 2010. The concert, dubbed "The Rage Factor", gave away all the tickets by free photo registration to prevent touting over the weekend of the February 13–14, followed by an online lottery on February 17. This proved to be overwhelmingly popular, with many users facing connection issues. The tickets were all allocated by 13:30 that same day. After allowing ticket holders to vote for who they wanted to be the support acts for "The Rage Factor", it was announced that
Gogol Bordello
, Gallows
and Roots Manuva
would support Rage Against the Machine at this concert.
In addition to the free gig at Finsbury Park, the band headlined European festivals in June 2010 including the Download Festival
at Donington Park
, England, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in Germany and Rock in Rio
Madrid in Spain.
They also performed in Ireland on June 8 and The Netherlands on June 9. http://www.ratm.com/ Zack de la Rocha has stated that it is a definite possibility that the band will record a new album, the first time since 2000's Renegades Morter has confirmed this, stating the discussions he and the band had backstage before the Finsbury Park gig saying the band did write new material, but they had no motivation to release them until now. De la Rocha mentioned the very strong reaction from the Download Festival
2010 audience as an incentive for releasing new material. In addition, the band returned to Los Angeles on July 23, 2010 for their first US show in two years and their first hometown show in 10 years. The concert benefited Arizona organizations that are fighting the SB1070 immigration law. On the night of the show, a spokesperson announced to the crowd that ticket sales—all of which are non-profit to the bands—had raised $300,000. The band has been confirmed to do a short South American tour in October, performing at venues such as the SWU Festival in Brazil, the Maquinaria Festival in Chile, and Pepsi Music Festival in Argentina. It was the first time the band played on that continent.
During an interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera
in October 2010, Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha allegedly confirmed that a new album is in the works, with a possibility of a 2011 release. De la Rocha is reported as saying, “We are all bigger and more mature and we do not fall into the problems we faced 10 or 15 years ago. This is different and we project a lot: we are working on a new album due out next year, perhaps summer for the northern hemisphere." However, in early May 2011, guitarist Tom Morello said that the band were not working on a new album, but would not rule out the possibility of future studio work. "The band is not writing songs, the band is not in the studio," Morello told The Pulse of Radio. "We get along famously and we all, you know, intend to do more Rage Against the Machine stuff in the future, but beyond sort of working out a concert this year, there's nothing else on the schedule (for 2011)." As Morello stated, the only Rage appearance for 2011 was an appearance on July 30 at the L.A. Rising festival with Muse
and Rise Against
.
" and Best Hard Rock Performance for "Guerrilla Radio
". The band has also received three nominations from the MTV Video Music Awards
, but has yet to win an award. In 2008 the band were given a special "Hall of Fame" award from Kerrang!
.
Grammy Awards
|-
|rowspan="2"| || "Tire Me
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| "Bulls on Parade
" || rowspan= "2" | Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| || "People of the Sun
" ||
|-
| || "No Shelter
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| || "Guerrilla Radio
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| The Battle of Los Angeles
|| Best Rock Album ||
|-
| || "Renegades of Funk" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
MTV Video Music Awards
|-
| || "Bulls on Parade" || rowspan= "3" | Best Rock Video
||
|-
| || "People of the Sun" ||
|-
| || "Sleep Now in the Fire
" ||
NME Awards
|-
| 2010 || Rage Against the Machine || Heroes of the Year ||
Kerrang! Awards
|-
|| 2008 || Rage Against the Machine || Hall of Fame
||
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
|-
| 2010 || Rage Against the Machine || Band of the Year ||
|-
| 2010 || Christmas Number One and Free Concert || Event of the Year ||
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha
Zack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford
Timothy Robert Commerford , also known by his various monikers/stage names is the bassist/backing vocalist for American alternative metal band Rage Against The Machine and the now-defunct supergroup Audioslave.-Biography:Tim Commerford was born on February...
, guitarist Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
and drummer Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.-Family and early life:...
. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its "fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America
Corporate America
Corporate America is an informal phrase describing the world of corporations within the United States not under government ownership....
, cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism is the domination of one culture over another. Cultural imperialism can take the form of a general attitude or an active, formal and deliberate policy, including military action. Economic or technological factors may also play a role...
, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and thrash
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
." Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
and Urban Dance Squad
Urban Dance Squad
Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986...
. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide.
In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album
Rage Against the Machine (album)
Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. The album was released on November 10, 1992...
, which became a commercial success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
. The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire
Evil Empire (album)
-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"People of the Sun" – 2:30#"Bulls on Parade" – 3:49#"Vietnow" – 4:39#"Revolver" – 5:30#"Snakecharmer" – 3:56#"Tire Me" – 3:00#"Down Rodeo" – 5:20...
. The band's third album The Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles (album)
-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"Testify" – 3:30#"Guerrilla Radio" – 3:26#"Calm Like a Bomb" – 4:58#"Mic Check" – 3:33#"Sleep Now in the Fire" – 3:25#"Born of a Broken Man" – 4:41...
was released in 1999. During their initial nine-year run, they became one of the most popular and influential bands in music history, according to music journalist Colin Devenish. They were also ranked #33 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. The band had a large influence on the nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
genre which emerged during the mid to late 1990s.
Shortly after breaking up in 2000, the band released the cover album Renegades. De la Rocha started a low-key solo career in One Day as a Lion; the rest of the band formed the rock supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
with Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
, then-former frontman of Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, which disbanded in 2007, and in April of that year, Rage Against the Machine performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
. The band has continued to perform at many live venues and festivals around the world since 2007.
1991–1992: Early years
In 1991, guitarist Tom MorelloTom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
left his band, Lock Up
Lock Up (US band)
Lock Up was a rock band that featured Tom Morello on guitar before Rage Against the Machine was formed.The band was founded by the original guitar player Mike Livingston and Kevin Wood on bass. They had previously played together in the band Ella and the Blacks, which also included Brian Grillo...
, looking to start another band. He was in a club in LA where Zack de la Rocha
Zack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
was freestyle rap
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
ping. Morello was impressed, people said, by de la Rocha's lyric books, and asked him to be a rapper in a band. Morello drafted drummer Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.-Family and early life:...
of Greta
Greta (band)
Greta was an American hard rock band formed in 1992 by Paul Plagens, Kyle Baer, Josh Gordon, and Brad Wilk. Wilk left the band to join Rage Against the Machine...
, who had previously auditioned for Lock Up, while de la Rocha convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford
Timothy Robert Commerford , also known by his various monikers/stage names is the bassist/backing vocalist for American alternative metal band Rage Against The Machine and the now-defunct supergroup Audioslave.-Biography:Tim Commerford was born on February...
to join as bassist. The newly christened Rage Against the Machine named themselves after a song de la Rocha had written for his former popular underground hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band, Inside Out (also to be the title of the unrecorded Inside Out full-length album). Kent McClard
Kent McClard
Kent McClard is a record label owner and zine publisher from Goleta, California. His work has been a prominent and influential presence in the DIY hardcore and punk scenes.-Ebullition Records:...
, with whom Inside Out were associated, had coined the phrase in a 1989 article in his zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
No Answers.
Shortly after forming, they gave their first public performance in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, where a friend of Commerford's was holding a house party
House party
A house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
. The blueprint for the group's major-label debut album, demo tape Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (demo tape)
Rage Against the Machine is the original demo tape by Los Angeles rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, released in December 1991. The 12-track tape was recorded at Sunbirth Studio in Los Angeles, California after drummer Brad Wilk joined the band, but before they had played their first live show...
, was laid on a twelve-song self-released cassette, the cover image of which was the stock market with a triple match taped to the inlay card. Not all 12 songs made it onto the final album—two were eventually included as B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, with the remaining three songs never seeing an official release. Several record labels expressed interest, and the band eventually signed with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Morello said, "Epic agreed to everything we asked—and they've followed through.... We never saw a[n] [ideological] conflict as long as we maintained creative control."
1992–2000: Mainstream success
The band's debut album, Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine (album)
Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. The album was released on November 10, 1992...
, reached triple platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
status, driven by heavy radio play of the song "Killing in the Name
Killing in the Name
"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
", a heavy, driving track featuring only eight lines of lyrics. The "Fuck You" version, which contains 17 iterations of the word fuck
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
, was once accidentally played on the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Top 40 singles
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
show on February 21st 1993. The album's cover featured Malcolm Browne
Malcolm Browne
Malcolm Wilde Browne is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and photographer. His best known work is the award-winning photograph of the self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức in 1963.- Early life :...
's Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning photograph of Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monk, burning himself to death
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by the US-backed Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Vietnam
-Office:The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the head of the executive branch of the Vietnamese government. The Prime Minister presides over the Vietnamese cabinet, and is responsible for appointing and supervising ministers...
Ngô Đình Diệm's
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a...
regime. The album was produced by Garth Richardson
Garth Richardson
Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian music producer and engineer. He is the son of renowned Canadian music producer Jack Richardson . Jack was a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 60's and 70's...
.To promote the album, the band went on tour, playing at Lollapalooza 1993 and as support for Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
in Europe.
After their debut album, the band appeared on the soundtrack for the film Higher Learning
Higher Learning
Higher Learning is a 1995 American drama film, starring an ensemble cast. It also featured Tyra Banks' first performance in a theatrical film...
with the song "Year of tha Boomerang
Year of tha Boomerang
"Year of tha Boomerang" is a song by the American political rap metal musical group Rage Against the Machine. It originally appeared in the movie and on the soundtrack of Higher Learning in 1994. On the back of the soundtrack, the song is called "Year of the Boomerang"...
". An early version of "Tire Me
Tire Me
"Tire Me" is the sixth song from the album Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine. Although "Tire Me" never had a music video, was never released on any media formats, and had no radio airplay, the song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance....
" also appeared during the movie. Subsequently, they re-recorded the song "Darkness" from their original demo for the soundtrack of The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
and also "No Shelter
No Shelter
"No Shelter" is a politically charged song released by Rage Against the Machine in 1998 that was featured on the Godzilla soundtrack. It can also be found as a bonus track on the Australian and Japanese release of The Battle of Los Angeles in 1999...
" appeared on the Godzilla
Godzilla (1998 film)
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
soundtrack.
Despite rumors of a breakup for several years, Rage Against the Machine's second album, Evil Empire, entered Billboard's Top 200 chart at number one in 1996, and subsequently rose to triple platinum status. The song "Bulls on Parade
Bulls on Parade
"Bulls on Parade" is a song released by Rage Against the Machine in 1996, and can be found on their second album Evil Empire.-Context:"Bulls on Parade" addresses the American military-industrial complex, a situation in which industry urges government to take military action, with the intent of...
" was performed on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in April 1996. Their planned two-song performance was cut to one song when the band attempted to hang inverted US flags from their amplifiers ("a sign of distress or great danger"), a protest against having Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes
Steve Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
as guest host on the program that night.
In 1997, the band opened for U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
on their PopMart Tour
Popmart Tour
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 1997 album, Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks from 1997 through 1998...
, for which all of Rage's profits went to support social organizations. including U.N.I.T.E., Women Alive and the Zapatista Front for National Liberation
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
. Rage subsequently began an abortive headlining US tour with special guests Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
. Police in several jurisdictions unsuccessfully attempted to have the concerts cancelled, citing amongst other reasons, the bands' "violent and anti-law enforcement philosophies." Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
were eventually removed from the line-up and replaced with The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
. On the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
leg of their tour promoting Evil Empire, a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
album composed of the band's B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
recordings titled Live & Rare was released by Sony Records. A live video, also titled Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (video)
Rage Against the Machine is the official self-titled debut video release by Rage Against the Machine. The video was released in 1997 after their Evil Empire world tour and includes footage from various performances as well as video clips....
, was released later the same year.
In 1999 Rage Against the Machine played at the infamous Woodstock '99
Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999, also called Woodstock 99, performed July 22–25, 1999, was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. Like the previous Woodstock festivals it was performed in upstate New York, this time in Rome, New York, around 200...
concert. The following release, The Battle of Los Angeles also debuted at number one in 1999, selling 450,000 copies in the first week and then going double-platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
. That same year the song "Wake Up
Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine song)
"Wake Up" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. It is the seventh track from their self-titled debut album. While never released as a single, it remains a staple of their live shows and is usually played as the last song before the encore...
" was featured on the soundtrack of the film The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. The track "Calm Like a Bomb
Calm Like a Bomb
"Calm Like a Bomb" is a song by American band Rage Against the Machine, off their third album The Battle of Los Angeles. Like their song "Tire Me" from the 1996 album Evil Empire, "Calm Like A Bomb" never had a music video or was released on any media formats...
" was later featured in the film's sequel, 2003s The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
. In 2000, the band planned to support the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
on the "Rhyme and Reason" tour; however, the tour was cancelled when Beastie Boys drummer Mike D suffered a serious injury.
2000–2006: Break-up and subsequent projects
On October 18, 2000, de la Rocha released a statement announcing his departure from the band. He said, "I feel that it is now necessary to leave Rage because our decision-making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band, and from my perspective, has undermined our artistic and political ideal." The band's final studio album, Renegades, released shortly after the band's dissolution, was a collection of coversCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of artists as diverse as Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
, MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Renegades achieved platinum status a month later. The following year saw the release of another live video, The Battle of Mexico City
The Battle of Mexico City
The Battle of Mexico City is the second video release by Rage Against the Machine. The concert was recorded in Mexico City's MX Palacio de los Deportes in 1999 as part of their Battle of Los Angeles world tour...
, and 2003 saw the release of a live album titled Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the most recent album released by Rage Against the Machine on November 25, 2003. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000...
, an edited recording of the band's final two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2000 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Grand Olympic Auditorium
The Grand Olympic Auditorium is the former name of a sports venue in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympics, which saw the boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling events held there. At the time it...
in Los Angeles. It was accompanied by an expanded DVD release of the last show, and also included the previously unreleased music video for "Bombtrack
Bombtrack (song)
"Bombtrack" is the song by Rage Against the Machine that opens their self-titled debut album. Like most of Rage Against the Machine's songs, the song's lyrics discuss social inequality, proclaiming that "landlords and power whores" were going to "burn"...
".
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
singer Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
to form a new band, Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, after briefly searching for a vocalist to replace de la Rocha. The first Audioslave single, "Cochise
Cochise (song)
"Cochise" is the first single by Audioslave for their eponymous debut album released in 2002. The single was released with a white and a black cover...
", was released in early November 2002, and the debut album, Audioslave
Audioslave (album)
Audioslave is the eponymous debut studio album by the American rock supergroup Audioslave and was released on November 19, 2002 . The album's music features Chris Cornell providing his familiar classic rock-esque wails and croons to the songs. It features the hit singles "Cochise", "Show Me How to...
, followed to mainly positive reviews. Their second album Out of Exile
Out of Exile
Out of Exile is the second studio album by the American rock supergroup Audioslave, first released on May 23, 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States. It is the band's only number one album on the Billboard 200. Four singles were released: "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come",...
debuted at the number one position on the Billboard charts in 2005. The band released a third album named Revelations on September 5, 2006. The band vowed to have a "one-album-per-year" schedule, until the departure of Chris Cornell on February 15, 2007.
Morello began his own solo career in 2003, playing political acoustic folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
at open-mic nights
Open mike
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open...
and various clubs under the alias The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
. He first participated in Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
's Tell Us the Truth tour with no plans to record, but later recorded a song for Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
Songs and Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 is a compilation album that followed up the 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 by filmmaker Michael Moore. It is not the original soundtrack....
, "No One Left". In February 2007, he announced a solo album, entitled One Man Revolution
One Man Revolution
-Credits:*All songs performed by Tom Morello, with additional instruments by Brendan O'Brien*Produced by Brendan O'Brien*Recorded by Nick Didia at Buds Garage and Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, GA...
, which was released in April 2007. Morello followed up his first studio album with "The Fabled City" which was released on September 30, 2008. During the latter of his career as The Nightwatchman, Morello joined up with Boots Riley
Boots Riley
Boots Riley is an American musician, vocalist, writer, and public speaker most known for being the front man and producer of The Coup as well as the front man for Street Sweeper Social Club.-Biography:...
and formed the rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
group Street Sweeper Social Club
Street Sweeper Social Club
Street Sweeper Social Club is an American Rap Rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006. The band primarily consists of guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and vocalist/emcee Boots Riley of The Coup. The band has been testing songs out during Tom Morello's...
, which released its debut self-titled album
Street Sweeper Social Club (album)
-Chart performance:-Personnel:*Tom Morello - guitars, bass, background vocals*Boots Riley - vocals, lyrics*Stanton Moore - drums, percussion-Additional personnel:*Eric Gardner - additional drums on 100 Little Curses...
in June 2009.
Meanwhile, de la Rocha had been working on a solo album collaboration with DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Company Flow
Company Flow
Company Flow is an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' Questlove, but dropped the project in favor of working with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
' Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
. Recording was completed, but the album will probably never be released. A collaboration between de la Rocha and DJ Shadow, the song "March of Death" was released for free over the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
in 2003 in protest against the imminent invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, and the 2004 soundtrack Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 included one of the collaborations with Reznor, "We Want It All
We Want It All
We Want It All is one of only two songs the Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha released while the band was disbanded. Out of the twenty or so tracks which De La Rocha and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails collaborated on, this is the only track of those sessions which has been released...
". In late 2005, de la Rocha was seen singing and playing the jarana huasteca
Jarana huasteca
The jarana huasteca, jarana de son huasteco or jarana is a string instrument.It is a guitar-like chordophone with 5 strings. It is smaller than the guitarra huapanguera and usually forms part of the trio huasteco ensemble, along with the quinta huapanguera and violin, taking on the role of the...
with Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
band Son de Madera
Son de Madera
Son de Madera is a son jarocho band based in Veracruz, Mexico. Its core members are Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Tereso Vega, and Rubí Oseguera Rueda. The band was founded in 1992....
on multiple occasions. Rage Against the Machine was ranked 33rd on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock list in 2005.
Members of the band had been offered large sums of money to reunite for concerts and tours, and had turned the offers down. Rumors of bad blood between de la Rocha and the other former band members subsequently circulated, but Commerford said that he and de la Rocha saw each other often and went surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
together, while Morello said he and de la Rocha communicated by phone, and had met up at a September 15, 2005 protest in support of the South Central Farm
South Central Farm
The South Central Farm, also known as the South Central Community Garden, was an urban farm and community garden located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets. in an industrial area of South Los Angeles, California which was in operation between 1994 and 2006...
.
2007–2008: Reunion and tours
Rumors that Rage Against the Machine could reunite at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts FestivalCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
were circulating in mid-January 2007, and were confirmed on January 22. The band was confirmed to be headlining the final day of Coachella 2007. The reunion was described by Morello as primarily being a vehicle to voice the band's opposition to the "right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
" the United States has "slid into" under the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
since RATM's dissolution. Though the performance was initially thought to be a one-off, this turned out not to be the case.
On April 14, 2007, Morello and de la Rocha reunited onstage early to perform a brief acoustic set at a Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a non-profit organization in Immokalee, Florida whose members are "largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state."Founded in 1993, the group has seen major success on several fronts...
rally in downtown Chicago. Morello described the event as "very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included." This was followed by the scheduled Coachella performance on Sunday, April 29 where the band staged a much anticipated performance in front of an EZLN
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival.
Rage Against the Machine continued to tour in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, and also played a series of shows in Europe in Summer 2008 including Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, Pinkpop Festival, T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
in Scotland, the Hultsfred Festival
Hultsfred Festival
The Hultsfred Festival is an annual music festival held in Hultsfred, Sweden. It takes place at the lake Hulingen during three days in the June or July, from Thursday to Saturday. Since the first festival in 1986, its attendance has increased from 7,500 visitors to approximately 32,000 people in...
in Sweden, the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in England and the Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
Festival in Ireland. The band also performed on August 2, 2008, in Chicago as one of the headliners (Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
being the other three) for the 2008 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
Music Festival.
When asked in May 2007 if the band were planning on writing a new album, Morello replied:
Morello declined to comment about the possibility of a new album when interviewed by MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
in April 2008. In July 2008, it was revealed that de la Rocha had begun a new project called One Day as a Lion
One Day as a Lion
One Day As A Lion is a music project that was started in 2008 by Zack de la Rocha, the vocalist of Rage Against the Machine and Jon Theodore, former drummer of The Mars Volta. The duo blends elements of rock, rap, and punk...
with drummer Jon Theodore
Jon Theodore
Jon Philip Theodore is a drummer, formerly a member of The Mars Volta. He has become best known for his explosive, multi-textural and dynamic playing style.-History:...
formerly of The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
, with an eponymous EP released on July 22, 2008.
In August 2008, de la Rocha revealed his take on the possibility of new material:
In August 2008, Rage headlined the free Tent State Music Festival to End the War in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. The band was supported by Flobots, State Radio, Jello Biafra, and Wayne Kramer. Following the concert, the band, following uniformed veterans from Iraq Veterans Against the War, led the 8,000 attendees to the Denver Coliseum on a 6 mile march to Invesco Field, host of the DNC. After a 4 hour stand-off with police, Obama's campaign agreed to meet with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and hear their demands.
In September 2008, Rage performed at the Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
. The previous day, they attempted to play a surprise set at a free anti-RNC concert at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul, but were prevented from doing so by the police. Instead, de la Rocha and Morello rapped and sang through a megaphone.
In December 2008, Tom Morello revealed that Rage Against the Machine shows in 2009 were a possibility, although plans for the band to record a new studio album were very unlikely. When asked by Billboard.com whether they planned to head to the studio in 2009, Morello stated that: "we've had a wonderful year and a half of playing shows, and I don't see any reason to not play more shows. The thing is there's only so many hours in the musical day, and mine are very occupied right now."
Morello elaborated that The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
is now "my principal musical focus, as I see it, for the remainder of my life. From the earliest days of playing open mic nights at coffee houses, it was apparent to me that this music was as important to me as any music I've ever been involved in. It really encapsulates everything I want to do as an artist." He repeated this point in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
However, After the "Rage Factor" celebratory show in Finsbury Park on June 6, 2010, after the campaign to get Killing in the Name to Christmas Number 1, Zack de la Rocha stated that it was a "genuine possibility". Stating that they may use the momentum from the campaign to get back into the studio and write a follow-up record to 2000s Renegades after 10 years. When talking to NME, Zack de la Rocha said: "I think it's a genuine possibility, We have to get our heads around what we’re going to do towards the end of the year and finish up on some other projects and we’ll take it from there."
2009–2011: Killing in the Name campaign, subsequent European tour and L.A. Rising
In December 2009, a campaign was launched on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
by Jon and Tracy Morter, from South Woodham Ferrers
South Woodham Ferrers
South Woodham Ferrers is a town and civil parish in the borough of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is approximately from London and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 16,629. The town is located east of Fenn Creek, and near where it meets the River Crouch...
, which generated nationwide publicity and took the track "Killing in the Name
Killing in the Name
"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
" to the coveted Christmas Number One slot in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, which had been dominated for four consecutive years from 2005 by winners from the popular TV show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. Before the chart was announced on December 20, 2009 the Facebook group membership stood at over 950,000, and was acknowledged (and supported) by Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
, Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, Fightstar
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, John Lydon
John Lydon
John Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
, Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
, Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
, BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, Hadouken!
Hadouken!
Hadouken! are an English grime, electronica, dance band who formed in Leeds in October 2006 by singer, writer and producer James Smith, alongside his girlfriend, synth player Alice Spooner, guitarist Daniel "Pilau" Rice, and drummer Nick Rice. The band name is taken from the name of a special...
, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, and even the 2004 X Factor winner Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor...
, amongst numerous others.
On the morning of December 17, Rage Against the Machine played a slightly censored version of "Killing in the Name" live on Radio 5 Live, but four repeats of 'Fuck you I won't do what you tell me' were aired before the song was pulled. During the interview before the song they reiterated their support for the campaign and their intentions to support charity with the proceeds.
The campaign was ultimately successful, and "Killing in the Name" became the number-one single in the UK for Christmas 2009. Rage's Zack de la Rocha
Zack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
spoke to BBC1 upon hearing the news, stating that:
"We're very very ecstatic and excited about the song reaching the number one spot. We want to thank everyone that participated in this incredible, organic, grass-roots campaign. It says more about the spontaneous action taken by young people throughout the UK to topple this very sterile pop monopoly. When young people decide to take action they can make what's seemingly impossible, possible."
The band also set a new record, achieving the biggest download sales total in a first week ever in the UK charts. de la Rocha also promised the band would perform a free concert in the UK sometime in 2010 to celebrate the achievement. True to their word, the band announced that they would be performing a free concert at Finsbury Park, London on June 6, 2010. The concert, dubbed "The Rage Factor", gave away all the tickets by free photo registration to prevent touting over the weekend of the February 13–14, followed by an online lottery on February 17. This proved to be overwhelmingly popular, with many users facing connection issues. The tickets were all allocated by 13:30 that same day. After allowing ticket holders to vote for who they wanted to be the support acts for "The Rage Factor", it was announced that
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
, Gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
and Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva
Rodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
would support Rage Against the Machine at this concert.
In addition to the free gig at Finsbury Park, the band headlined European festivals in June 2010 including the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, England, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in Germany and Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
Madrid in Spain.
They also performed in Ireland on June 8 and The Netherlands on June 9. http://www.ratm.com/ Zack de la Rocha has stated that it is a definite possibility that the band will record a new album, the first time since 2000's Renegades Morter has confirmed this, stating the discussions he and the band had backstage before the Finsbury Park gig saying the band did write new material, but they had no motivation to release them until now. De la Rocha mentioned the very strong reaction from the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
2010 audience as an incentive for releasing new material. In addition, the band returned to Los Angeles on July 23, 2010 for their first US show in two years and their first hometown show in 10 years. The concert benefited Arizona organizations that are fighting the SB1070 immigration law. On the night of the show, a spokesperson announced to the crowd that ticket sales—all of which are non-profit to the bands—had raised $300,000. The band has been confirmed to do a short South American tour in October, performing at venues such as the SWU Festival in Brazil, the Maquinaria Festival in Chile, and Pepsi Music Festival in Argentina. It was the first time the band played on that continent.
During an interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera
La Tercera
La Tercera , formerly known as La Tercera de la Hora , is a daily newspaper published in Santiago, Chile and owned by Copesa. It is El Mercurios closest competitor....
in October 2010, Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha allegedly confirmed that a new album is in the works, with a possibility of a 2011 release. De la Rocha is reported as saying, “We are all bigger and more mature and we do not fall into the problems we faced 10 or 15 years ago. This is different and we project a lot: we are working on a new album due out next year, perhaps summer for the northern hemisphere." However, in early May 2011, guitarist Tom Morello said that the band were not working on a new album, but would not rule out the possibility of future studio work. "The band is not writing songs, the band is not in the studio," Morello told The Pulse of Radio. "We get along famously and we all, you know, intend to do more Rage Against the Machine stuff in the future, but beyond sort of working out a concert this year, there's nothing else on the schedule (for 2011)." As Morello stated, the only Rage appearance for 2011 was an appearance on July 30 at the L.A. Rising festival with Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
and Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
.
Members
- Tim CommerfordTim CommerfordTimothy Robert Commerford , also known by his various monikers/stage names is the bassist/backing vocalist for American alternative metal band Rage Against The Machine and the now-defunct supergroup Audioslave.-Biography:Tim Commerford was born on February...
– bass guitar/backing vocals, (1991–2000) (2007–present) - Tom MorelloTom MorelloThomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
– guitar (1991–2000) (2007–present) - Zack de la RochaZack de la RochaZacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
– lead vocals (1991–2000) (2007–present) - Brad WilkBrad WilkBrad Wilk is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.-Family and early life:...
– drums (1991–2000) (2007–present)
Discography
- Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine (album)Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. The album was released on November 10, 1992...
(1992) - Evil EmpireEvil Empire (album)-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"People of the Sun" – 2:30#"Bulls on Parade" – 3:49#"Vietnow" – 4:39#"Revolver" – 5:30#"Snakecharmer" – 3:56#"Tire Me" – 3:00#"Down Rodeo" – 5:20...
(1996) - The Battle of Los AngelesThe Battle of Los Angeles (album)-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"Testify" – 3:30#"Guerrilla Radio" – 3:26#"Calm Like a Bomb" – 4:58#"Mic Check" – 3:33#"Sleep Now in the Fire" – 3:25#"Born of a Broken Man" – 4:41...
(1999) - Renegades (2000)
Awards and nominations
Rage Against the Machine has received two Grammy Awards; Best Metal Performance for the song "Tire MeTire Me
"Tire Me" is the sixth song from the album Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine. Although "Tire Me" never had a music video, was never released on any media formats, and had no radio airplay, the song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance....
" and Best Hard Rock Performance for "Guerrilla Radio
Guerrilla Radio
"Guerrilla Radio" is the second track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. It has remained one of their signature tracks...
". The band has also received three nominations from the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, but has yet to win an award. In 2008 the band were given a special "Hall of Fame" award from Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
.
Grammy Awards
|-
|rowspan="2"| || "Tire Me
Tire Me
"Tire Me" is the sixth song from the album Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine. Although "Tire Me" never had a music video, was never released on any media formats, and had no radio airplay, the song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance....
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| "Bulls on Parade
Bulls on Parade
"Bulls on Parade" is a song released by Rage Against the Machine in 1996, and can be found on their second album Evil Empire.-Context:"Bulls on Parade" addresses the American military-industrial complex, a situation in which industry urges government to take military action, with the intent of...
" || rowspan= "2" | Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| || "People of the Sun
People of the Sun
"People of the Sun" is the second single by the American band Rage Against the Machine for their 1996 album Evil Empire. The song is about the Zapatista revolution. Lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha wrote the song after a visit to the Chiapas in southern Mexico. "People of the Sun" also has a music...
" ||
|-
| || "No Shelter
No Shelter
"No Shelter" is a politically charged song released by Rage Against the Machine in 1998 that was featured on the Godzilla soundtrack. It can also be found as a bonus track on the Australian and Japanese release of The Battle of Los Angeles in 1999...
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| || "Guerrilla Radio
Guerrilla Radio
"Guerrilla Radio" is the second track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. It has remained one of their signature tracks...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| The Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles (album)
-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"Testify" – 3:30#"Guerrilla Radio" – 3:26#"Calm Like a Bomb" – 4:58#"Mic Check" – 3:33#"Sleep Now in the Fire" – 3:25#"Born of a Broken Man" – 4:41...
|| Best Rock Album ||
|-
| || "Renegades of Funk" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
MTV Video Music Awards
|-
| || "Bulls on Parade" || rowspan= "3" | Best Rock Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and...
||
|-
| || "People of the Sun" ||
|-
| || "Sleep Now in the Fire
Sleep Now in the Fire
"Sleep Now in the Fire" is the fifth track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. It was released as a single in 2000. The song contains lyrics about greed, such as the conquest of Native Americans, Christopher Columbus' voyage by Nina, the Pinta, and...
" ||
NME Awards
|-
| 2010 || Rage Against the Machine || Heroes of the Year ||
Kerrang! Awards
|-
|| 2008 || Rage Against the Machine || Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
||
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
|-
| 2010 || Rage Against the Machine || Band of the Year ||
|-
| 2010 || Christmas Number One and Free Concert || Event of the Year ||
External links
- Rage Against the Machine – Revolution in the Head and The Art of Protest; 106min documentary at YouTube