Five times Zack de la Rocha literally raged against the machine
For as long as music has existed as a form of expression, it has been used to talk about societal issues, as it’s very easy to discuss things like politics within it, because you don’t only have the ability to convey your feelings through words, but also sound and the art of live performance.
Rage Against the Machine uses all three of these aspects, and at the forefront of all of them is lead singer Zack de la Rocha.
With his powerful vocals, poignant lyrics and unwavering attitude, there is nobody better to front one of the biggest punk bands in the world, and throughout his career, he has shown people why he’s one of the best voices in rebellious music, even overshadowing The Clash and Sex Pistols.
So, without further ado, these are five of the most iconic times when Zack de la Rocha quite literally raged against the machine.
Five of Zack de la Rocha’s most rebellious moments:
That BBC performance
There aren’t too many actually decent Christmas number ones out there, but they do creep up every now and then. In the 1960s and ‘70s, quite a lot of exceptional songs were released around Christmas, but in later years, the holiday has been used to promote the winners of talent shows and poorly put-together (albeit well-meaning) charity numbers. Eventually, the public had had enough of it, and to voice their frustration, they made sure Rage Against the Machine’s song ‘Killing in the Name’ was a Christmas number one.
The campaign worked, and with that, the band were asked to perform live on the BBC, as was custom for the artist responsible for the Christmas number one in any given year. It’s delightful thinking of the panicked PR’s scrambling to ensure the band didn’t swear during a live broadcast, and even more delightful to imagine their faces when they realised said band didn’t listen.
As soon as the iconic outro kicked in, Rocha leaned into the band’s ethos, looked directly into the BBC cameras and proclaimed, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!”
That ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance
The BBC should have known that Rage Against the Machine weren’t going to behave themselves during the performance, as ten years prior to the Christmas number one fiasco, the band also found themselves in the midst of controversy following an appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’. Once again, the band was told not to swear, but unlike their gig at the BBC, this time they actually did what they were asked…sort of.
They were more subtle with their protests this time around, but it still landed them in hot water, especially when Rocha took to the stage to perform, draped in an American flag upside down over one of their amplifiers.
While this might not seem like much, it was received poorly by the programme and those watching it, and Rage Against the Machine were promptly kicked off the comedy show and told they weren’t welcome back.
That Run The Jewels verse
Rocha has always been an exceptional lyricist, employing a rapping/shouting approach to everything he did with Rage Against the Machine, getting his message across incredibly well, but when he was given ever more room to run on an unfiltered rap song, he showed listeners just how much of an exceptional writer he was.
He’s worked with Run The Jewels a few times and always delivered great vocals, but one of his best offerings was on the song ‘Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)’, where he pulled no punches in delivering some of his most rage-infused words ever committed to the airwaves, such that, even now, years after the song’s release, his lyrics remain equal parts poignant and shocking.
That gig with a broken leg
The term punk is a relatively elusive musical phrase, as it doesn’t just apply to rebellion within sound, but also the attitude that different artists show. Most musicians, if they injure themselves on stage to the extent that they can’t walk any more, vacate the place, but Zack de la Rocha isn’t like most musicians.
Staying true to that Rage Against the Machine spirit, when Rocha hit the deck during a reunion show in Chicago, rather than call things off and upset his fans, he instead played the rest of the gig sitting down, telling the crowd with gusto, “We’re gonna keep this fucking shit going. I can crawl across this stage. We’re gonna play for you all tonight”.
That Woodstock gig
When Woodstock first came around in the ‘60s, it was a place of peace and love, and the harmony was so rich that The Who wrote ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ about it, essentially saying they weren’t going to be conned into the idea that music can genuinely bring about world peace, which was in stark contrast with Woodstock 1999, filled with controversy, rebellion, and, you guessed it, rage.
Rage Against the Machine whittled through a 13-song setlist where they made their political stance pretty evident, given it’s embedded within their lyrics and band name, but just in case any onlooker was left wondering, they brought out the American flag at the end of their show and torched it. It says a lot about Woodstock 1999 that despite this carnage, Rage’s set was one of the more mundane offerings of the weekend.
