After a series of COVID-related setbacks, Rage Against The Machine finally played the firts show of their short-lived reunion tour at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI on July 9, 2022.
Rage Against The Machine would play 19 shows total and eventually cancelled their European dates due to a severe leg injury sustained by vocalist Zack de la Rocha. The band then fell largely silent, and after a strange induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, bassist Tim Commerford said the band was done (he thinks).
Amid that whirlwind of Rage Against The Machine-chaos were allegations that the band was requiring every fan to show proof of vaccine before seeing them live in 2022. Which wasn't farfetched – corporations like Live Nation and major venues were certainly enforcing that rule, but Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello denies that the band themselves required it.
In a series of responses to people on Twitter/X, Morello made his opinion well known when it came to people accusing him and the band of the aforementioned.
"No offense but you're a fucking idiot," said Morello to one person. "RATM has played 19 shows in the last 13 years and ZERO of those shows have required vax. Pass this along to your idiots friends por fa vor. Also, while you're mewling about Big Pharma, how about Big Oil and Big Tobacco and Big Landlords and Big Military and Big Elon? It's called Big Capitalism vs human beings and the our planet. So I accept your apology and let's aim at the right target bubba."
Morello noted in another response that the Rage Against The Machine reunion tour (originally set to kick off in 2020) was booked pre-pandemic, meaning the band couldn't have known the future.
"100% incorrect. When we booked the tour and sold the tickets it was pre-pandemic, so naturally no vax requirement. When venues opened during covid some had the below stipulations on concerts held during that period.
"We played ZERO shows during this time. Zero. In part because we wanted to protect our fans and their families. When we eventually played these shows, including the United Center, ALL restrictions at ALL the venues we played had been lifted. While I am a big supporter of science, hear my words: NO Rage fan was EVER required to present anything other than a ticket to see the band. Read that again, Charlie."
Anyway, cut up all the "UM ACKSCHULLY THEY'RE RAGE FOR THE MACHINE AT THIS POINT" comments. Nobody's ever heard that joke before. It'll be so funny, dude.
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