Tom Morello: Future of Rage Against the Machine Is Up in the Air

Spencer Kaufman

March 28, 2023 at 10:20 PM·5 min read

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The post Tom Morello: Future of Rage Against the Machine Is Up in the Air appeared first on Consequence.

When Rage Against the Machine canceled their remaining 2022 and 2023 tour dates due to singer Zack de la Rocha’s torn achilles tendon, fans likely assumed that the shows would be made up once he healed. However, in a new interview, guitarist Tom Morello suggests that the future of RATM is uncertain, and that there’s a chance the shows may never be rescheduled.

After a couple of delays due to the pandemic, Rage Against the Machine finally kicked off their reunion tour last summer, with de la Rocha severely injuring himself during the second show of the outing.

While the singer soldiered on to play the remainder of their North American summer run while seated onstage, RATM announced that their scheduled 2022 UK/European shows and 2023 North American dates were canceled to allow him time to heal.

Rolling Stone just caught up with Morello for a new interview in which the guitarist attempted to set the record straight over complaints about purported vaccine requirements and the price of tickets for RATM’s tour dates. But the conversation took a turn when Morello left the future of the band in doubt, despite many attempts by interviewer Andy Greene to get a definitive answer.

Asked simply if the band will resume touring once de la Rocha is healed, Morello responded, “We’ll see. If there is to be any more shows, we will announce it as a band. I don’t know. I know as much as you do, honestly. Right now we’re in time of healing.”

He continued, “If there never is another show, I think that this tour made the case. It’s not about how much you tour. It’s about what it’s like during those moments when you do. Rage Against the Machine has played 19 shows in the past 12 years. And the resonance of those 19 shows feel, in talking to fans, like those were historical events that furthers the idea of what that band is like live onstage.”

When pressed on whether the band was on hiatus, Morello professed, “Rage Against the Machine is like the ring in Lord of the Rings. It drives men mad. It drives journalists mad. It drives record industry people mad. They want it. They want the thing, and they’re driven mad. If there are Rage shows, if there are not Rage shows, you’ll hear from the band.”

Not backing down, Greene asked again about the 38 shows that were canceled, with Morello cryptically answering, “Do Rage Against the Machine fans around the world deserve to see the band? Yes. Of course they do. Would the times benefit from a culturally, spiritually, rocking-ly, potent band like Rage being onstage? Of course. I don’t have news for you on that. I apologize. There’s nothing internal in our discussions that says either yes or no.”

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The back-and-forth went on and on between Greene and Morello, with the reporter ultimately asking the musician if RATM are a band or were a band. To that, Morello affirmed, “I would refer to the official Rage Against the Machine statement on that point, in which there’s none!”

If Rage Against the Machine are indeed on hiatus, it’s not the first time an injury halted the band’s activities. Back in 2000, RATM were supposed to embark on a co-headlining tour with Beastie Boys. However, that outing was postponed and eventually canceled after Beastie Boy Mike D seriously injured his shoulder while riding his bicycle. Not too long after that, Rage broke up, and didn’t play another show until 2007.

Photo Gallery – Rage Against the Machine at Chicago’s United Center (click to enlarge and scroll through):