Tom Morello discusses the cancelled tour, ticket prices, and the future of Rage Against the Machine
In July 2022, Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha severed his Achilles tendon in Chicago and continued working for 17 more shows. However, by October, the band cancelled every remaining date – 38 in total – including their European leg and the 2023 North American tour. Now, guitarist Tom Morello has reflected on the cancelled tour, ticket prices and the band’s future.
Morello’s comments came in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “Zack toughed it out that night,” Morello said. “And for the next 17 shows, he was more compelling as a frontman sitting on a box in the middle of the stage than 99 per cent of the frontmen in the history of all time.”
Morello also attempted to clear up the Covid-19 precautions that were enforced at the band’s shows. He said: “No fans at any show in the history of Rage Against the Machine have ever had a vaccination requirement to be in the room. Ever.”
He then discussed RATM’s use of Ticketmaster’s controversial dynamic pricing. The guitarist claimed that with the exception of “about five to ten per cent,” every other ticket sold for their shows was $125. The exceptions were subject to dynamic pricing, which increases ticket prices due to demand.
Whilst dynamic pricing is controversial, Morello claimed that every penny over $125 went to charity. “In New York City, we raised over a million dollars for activist organization charities,” he said. “There was a total of about six or seven million raised on that tour in what was basically a Robin Hood tactic.”
The guitarist explained there is “no news” when asked about the band’s future. “Rage Against the Machine is like the ring in Lord of the Rings,” he said. “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. I do not know. When there is news, it will come from a collective statement from the band. There is no news.”
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