Watch Rage Against The Machine perform ‘Bulls On Parade’ at Reading Festival in 2008
There has been much backlash surrounding Rage Against The Machine dropping out of the headline slots at this year’s forthcoming Reading and Leeds festivals. Yet, the furore is not necessarily aimed at Rage themselves. Instead, it is the fact that their replacements are a paltry offering in the form of The 1975.
The reason that Rage pulled out of the festivals, as well as cancelling the entirety of the UK and European legs of their tour, is that Zach de la Rocha injured his leg on just the second date of the tour’s North American leg in Chicago.
De la Rocha had been completing the North American dates from a seated position, but after seeking medical counsel, he has been advised not to perform in the UK and European shows scheduled for the remainder of this year.
A social media post from the band read: “Per medical guidance, Zack de la Rocha has been advised that the August and September 2022 UK and European leg of the Rage Against the Machine tour cannot proceed. It is with great disappointment that we announce this cancellation.”
It continued: “Rage Against the Machine will be finishing their run at Madison Square Garden on August 11, 12 & 14, and then Zack must return home for rest and rehabilitation. The flights, travel time, and rigorous schedule in the UK and Europe are simply too much of a risk for a complete recovery. We are so sorry to all of our fans who have waited years to see us and hope to Rage again soon.”
Whenever an audience backlash occurs, particularly at the Reading and Leeds festivals, it is naturally followed by previous attendees of the English festivals hark back to “the good old days”, when the lineups were a thing to be admired. In the mid-2010s, it appeared that the organisers of Reading and Leeds adapted the lineups to suit the new tastes of the younger generation – their primary target audience.
Reading and Leeds had traditionally been rock music festivals, and as such, highly acclaimed rock bands regularly headlined the festival, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Green Day and Iron Maiden. However, the mid-2010s saw the likes of Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and The (much-derided) 1975 join the fold. Many rock bands also headlined the festival, but the organisers were now catering to a broader audience’s taste.
One particularly fantastic headline set came in 2008 from Rage Against The Machine, who took the top slot alongside The Killers and Metallica. Check out the video below of their exquisite performance of ‘Bulls on Parade’ and ‘Kick Out The Jams’ below, although those who had been looking forward to seeing Rage at this year’s Reading and Leeds ought to proceed with caution.
