Rage Against the Machine News


7.26.00: Rhyme & Reason Tour Postponed
According to a statement issued late Tuesday by Nasty Little Man, publicists for the Beastie Boys, Mike Diamond was riding home from tour rehearsals when he hit a pothole, injuring several shoulder muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the ensuing spill. A specialist has recommended that he refrain from all physical activity for the duraction of a 2-3 month rehabilitation program. Ticket exchange and refunds, as well as rescheduled dates, are expected to be announced later this week.
7.26.00: Testify Single
'Testify' will be released as a single on August 1. Tracklist:
1.� "Testify" album version
2.� "Testifly" remix
3.� "Testify" Mickey P. remix
4.� "Guerilla Radio" live in Mexico City
5.� "Freedom" live in Mexico City
7.25.00: Rage at MTV Video Music Awards
Rage have been nominated for "Best Rock Video" for Sleep Now in the Fire, and will be performing at the show along with...N Sync.
7.25.00: CBS Orchestra covers Down Rodeo
FROM IAN MANCE>> The CBS Orchestra played a cover of Rage's "Down Rodeo" on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 20th. This is interesting, considering the fact that CBS answers to corporate interests, while "Down Rodeo" is a song about taking riots and violence out of the ghetto and into upper class districts.
7.25.00: Rage on Celebrity Deathmatch
Claymation figures of Rage Against the Machine will appear on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch on July 27th around 10pm. They will be fighting "the machine", which appears to be a giant robot of some sort.
7.25.00: Rage on Learning Channel
Rage will appear the Learing Channel's special feature "Stand & be Counted" on August 22nd - 23rd.� All proceeds will go to UNICEF.
7.25.00: NWA & Rage
Dr. Dre recently commented on the new upcoming N.W.A. album: "We have an idea that we really want to work with Rage Against the Machine on, we would love to tour with those guys. We're just gonna get in there and mix it up and see what happens."


At the Roxy with At the Drive-In - 7-14-00

Rage will be playing at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip on July 23rd for a show put on by 106.7 KROQ. It is a benefit for the LA Regional Food Bank. Their special guests are At the Drive in. The only way to get tickets is to win them by listening to the radio station. (Thanks to S. Erickson)



Live Album - 7-13-00

Rage will be playing in San Francisco at the Fillmore Auditorium beginning on July 25, and continuing on July 27 and 28. According to a source, they won't be just working out the kinks in its stage show, but will actually be taping the shows for a live album, due out in the fall on Epic.

$1 from each of ticket sold for the Rhyme And Reason 2000 tour will be donated to non-profit charities. The Beastie Boys will give their proceeds to the Milarepa Fund, the organisation they helped to establish in 1994 to campaign for social change in Tibet. Rage are said to be donating to the California Emergency Foodlink and New England Shelter for Homeless Vets, among others. The band donated more than $350,000 from sales of last year's 'Battle of Los Angeles� LP to charity.

Quick update on the Testify single and The Battle of Mexico City video: Testify comes out August 1st, but video plans are still unconfirmed. The Battle of Mexico City is said to be released on August 29th. They have pushed it back several times -- could be an indication of some extra footage.



Supporting Acts for the Rage/Beasties Tour - 7-13-00

Bands that will support Rage and the Beastie Boys on tour: Busta Rhymes
The Roots
At the Drive-In
Common
Queens of the Stone Age
Jurassic 5
Stone Temple Pilots
No Doubt.

All are varied throughout the tour. (Thanks to Julie Nolan)



Zack working wit Roni Size, Rahzel, and Method Man - 7-12-00

Roni Size and his crew Reprazent are working on their second album. Guest appearances will be made by Rage Against The Machine's Zack, Rahzel from the Roots and Method Man. The crew are currently in Los Angeles filming the video to their yet to be released new single. The as of yet untitled album comes out October 3rd. (Thanks to fireal)



Tentative Tracklist for Loud Rocks Compilation - 7-3-00

The tracklisting for the Loud Rocks album has been tentatively set. The album, which features rock/metal bands covering classic hip hop tracks, will be released on September 5th through Loud Rocks. The tracklisting includes:


01 - System Of A Down (Feat. Wu-Tang Clan) - "Shame On A Nuh" (Wu-Tang Clan Cover)
02 - Sugar Ray (Feat. The Alkaholiks) - "Make Room" (Alkaholiks Cover)
03 - Static-X (Feat. Dead Prez) - "Hip-Hop" (Dead Prez Cover)
04 - Endo (Feat. Xzibit) - "Los Angeles Times" (Xzibit Cover)
05 - Everlast (Feat. Mobb Deep) - "Shook Ones" (Mobb Deep Cover)
06 - Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
      (Feat. Wu-Tang Clan) - "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' To Fuck Wit" (Wu-Tang Clan Cover)
07 - Crazy Town (Feat. The Alkaholiks) - "Only When I'm Drunk" (Alkaholiks Cover)
08 - Sevendust (Feat. Xzibit) - "What You See Is What You Get" (Xzibit Cover)
09 - Butch Vig (Feat. Mop) - "How About Some Hardcore?" (MOP Cover)
10 - Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) 
      (Feat. Wu-Tang Clan - "For Heavens Sake" (Wu-Tang Clan Cover)
11 - Shootyz Groove - "Caribbean Connection" (Big Punisher Cover)
12 - Sick Of It All (Feat. Mobb Deep) - "Survival Of The Fittest" (Mobb Deep Cover)
13 - Incubus - "Still Not A Playa" (Big Punisher Cover) 

(Thanks to Gavin Hodges)



Rage and Beastie's Tour - 7/1/00

As most of you already know, Rage Against the Machine and the Beastie Boys are teaming up for the "Rhyme and Reason 2000 Tour". Dates begin August 2nd in Toronto and are currently scheduled to run through mid-September. Early dates are as follows:


Wed-Aug-02 Toronto Molson Park 
Fri-Aug-04 Buffalo Darien Lakes Amphitheater 
Sat-Aug-05 Washington DC RFK Stadium 
Wed-Aug-09 New York Giant Stadium 
Sat-Aug-12 Boston Foxboro Stadium 
Wed-Aug-16 Chicago The World 
Fri-Aug-18 Columbus Polaris Amphitheater 
Sat-Aug-19 Detroit Silverdome 
Mon-Aug-21 Indianapolis Deer Creek Amphitheater

Tickets for early shows will go on sale Saturday, July 8th. Check out RATM.com for details on how to get tickets early!

Opening Acts are said to change from city to city, but some of the names being tossed around in the rumor mills are: Common, Busta Rhymes, At The Drive In, The Roots, Mos Def, The Donnas, and Rah Digga. Also, on the Public Enemy Enemy Board, someone interviewed Proffessor Griff & he said it's "a good possibility" that Confrontation Camp will open for some of the dates.

Adam from Beastie Boys was on Total Request Live on MTV, and Tom called in from the Japan tour to comment on how it all came together: "We've played some shows in the past, some benefit shows, together. It was an idea that was long overdue. I mean, the idea is a very simple one. It's to make the funkiest, most rocking,�greatest tour of all time -- Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine. You got your conscious music and your shockingly fat jams colliding right and left, and we can't wait." Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz: Wow, how 'bout that. Sounds fun." Not so coincidentally, Rage won the beastieboys.com "Who should the beasties tour with?" by a landslide.� The final numbers:


RATM - 22%
311 - 11%
Cypress Hill - 8%
Beck - 7%� 

Based on a tally of 43,395 votes.� 

Finally, a bitter quote from Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam regarding labelmates Rage Against the Machine: "As you get older, you start to see the complexity of issues, and you go, 'I don't want to hear you talk about, you know, corporate fuckin' whatchamacallit when you're on the Sony tit, and you're making videos."



Rage on Bamboozled Soundtrack - 6/17/00

Rage Against The Machine, Chuck D, and The Roots are planning to work together on the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film, "Bamboozled". The soundtrack should be out this fall.



Interesting Set in Tel Aviv - 6/16/00

According to Rage fans at the show, Rage did something new at the recent Tel Aviv, Israel show: Zack played drums, while Brad sang a Jewish blessing for the sabbath in Hebrew. They finished with Killing in the Name.

The "Battle of Mexico City" Video release has been pushed back to August 29, 2000.


Here's the tour rundown:

DATE����������� LOCATION����������������VENUE
06/10/00������� Nuremberg, Germany����� Rock Am Ring
06/11/00������� Nurburgring, Germany��� Rock Im Park
06/13/00������� Tel Aviv, Israel��������Tel Aviv
06/14/00������� Athens, Greece��������� Petra Theater
06/16/00������� Imola, Italy����������� Heineken Jammin'
06/17/00������� Hultsfred, Sweden�������Hultsfred Festival
06/18/00������� Sein�joki, Finland����� Provinssirock Festival
06/21/00������� Seoul, South Korea����� Olympic Gym
06/24/00������� Tokyo, Japan����������� Makuhari Messe
06/25/00������� Tokyo, Japan����������� Makuhari Messe
06/27/00������� Fukuoka, Japan��������� Marine Messe
06/28/00������� Osaka, Japan����������� Osaka Jo Hall
08/26/00������� Reading, UK�������������Reading Festival
08/27/00������� Leeds, UK���������������Leeds Festival


Tom in Film - 6/12/00

Tom will have a part in an organized crime comedy called "Made" in a scene with adult film star Jenteal, that was filmed over the weekend from June 4-6. Morello plays the best man of Jonathan Silverman in a bachelor party scene where Jenteal does a lap dance for Morello. The movie is directed and written by Jon Favreau and features himself, his Swingers partner Vince Vaughn, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Famke Janssen, and Makenzie Vega. It's due via Artisan Entertainment next year.

Testify: Next Single - 6/7/00

"Testify" will be the next single from The Battle of Los Angeles. Plans for a video are unconfirmed.

Korn.com is saying that Rage is touring with Korn, Kid Rock, and Metallica. This seems unlikely. The Beastie Boys are going into the studio to record a new album, so the chances of a tour with Rage and the Beasties is also unlikely. Rumors tell that 311 will headline with Rage on a tour in late July.

Rage will appear on the following on "Loud Rocks", a compilation of hip hop and rock bands: Rage Against the Machine: "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' To Fuck Wit" (Wu-Tang Clan Cover), Members of Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Limp Bizkit and the RZA - "Protect Ya Neck" (Wu-Tang Clan Cover)



"Zapatista", Rage inquiry, Live in Mexico City release date - 5/12/00

A fan named Shinta has told me that the documentary titled "Zapatista" is available from bignoisefilms.com for $24.95.� There's an interview with Zack in it, and also "People of the Sun" and "Take the Power Back". Mumia Abu-Jamal is one of the narrators in the film.�

Here's the official info regarding the Live in Mexico City video:


Live In Mexico City
Release Date: July 18, 2000
Track listing for VHS Cassette Longform
(EV 050213)

1. Testify
2. Guerrilla Radio
3. People Of The Sun
4. Calm Like A Bomb
5. Bullet In The Head
6. Sleep Now In The Fire
7. Born Of A Broken Man
8. Know Your Enemy
9. Freedom



Trent and Phish on Rage, Other info - 5/7/00

Trent Reznor of nine inch nails stated in a recent interview: "I can't think of anything in rock that has excited me lately. The bands that are somewhat exciting seem to be playing it safe and repeating themselves. I'd say Rage Against the Machine is an example of that. They're a really good band, but they keep writing the same song. I hold them in high regard, but I don't hear anything that's really making people think." And the other opinion, from Trey Anastasio of Phish: "The only rock band I'm really interested in right now is Rage Against the Machine. I saw them in Japan, and they just completely floored me. I thought it was incredible. Other than that, someone I would follow would probably be (bluegrass artist) Del McCoury or (jazz trumpeter) Wynton Marsalis."

According to ShoutWeb.com, Rage Against The Machine and the Beastie Boys are planning to kick off their summer tour starting in early August. The Dead Prez are one of the bands who have been recently rumored to be opening for the tour. The site also says that Rage are potentially playing Australia's Big Day Out next January. And, according to pimprock.cjb.net, Rage recorded a cover of Wu-Tang Clan's "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' To Fuck Wit" for the compilation "Loud Rocks". It also said that a cover of Wu-Tang's "Protect Your Neck"� involves people from RATM, KoRn, Limp Bizkit, and RZA. Whether any of this is true remains to be seen.

Zack wasn't at the Mumia Rally held at Madison Square Garden, today. [email protected] talked to Pam Africa after the show, who said that Zack had an "emergency", the nature of which she didn't elaborate.



Live in Mexico City - 5/5/00

The live in Mexico City video and DVD that was supposed to be released recently, wasn't. Apparently the industry got a head of itself, and the information was not entirely accurate. I do not know when it will be released.



Zack to appear on DJ Muggs next solo LP - 5/3/00

MTV.com says that DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill is releasing his next solo LP, "Soul Assassins Chapter 2", and guest MCs for the record include Zack de la Rocha. The record is due out this August. (Thanks to Muid)

Someone e-mailed me: Zack shares a mayan tzolkin calendar birthday with his most influential artist, Bob Marley. They are both 4 Wizards. Find out more about Mayan calenders and culture.



Tom Speaks Out on Janitor Victory - 2/30/00

Tom spoke out about the LA Janitors April 24th victory: "Rage Against the Machine would like to congratulate the Janitors Union of Los Angeles on their victory in their struggle for better wages and dignity in the workplace. This win over management is a perfect example of what can happen when workers, students, and the community show solidarity in fighting for social justice."

For 21 days, some 4,000 janitors in the Los Angeles area walked out on their jobs and began picketing all over the city, causing disruptions for more than just the office workers in the buildings in which they were employed -- some striking janitors wreaked havoc on local traffic by blocking main thoroughfares through the Los Angeles area.

On Monday, the janitors voted overwhelmingly to ratify a contract offer which would include a 25% wage increase for workers in downtown L.A. and Century City, Calif. and a 26% increase for janitors working in outlying areas, as well as a paid sick leave clause and extended family health care benefits.



Zack 'appearing' at Mumia Rally? - 4/30/00

While Rage Against the Machine will not be performing at the Rally for Mumia Abu-Jamal on May 7th at Madison Square Garden, Tim Rodrigues noticed that the flyers around NYC promoting the event have recently been updated to say: "Appearing: Mos Def; Zack de la Rocha; Will Villainova." Since all are performing artists, and since Rage Against the Machine was already listed, it seems there's a chance that Zack will be performing. Time will tell.



Spitfire Tour - 4/27/00

Preliminary list of performers and dates have been announced for the spoken word "Spitfire" tour - which Zack de la Rocha helped put together as a 4 city tour in the fall of 1998. Thirteen more dates will be scheduled in the coming weeks, with the growing tour hitting venues with a capacity as large as 13,000. West Virginia, Ohio and Illinois are some new cities to the tour.

The line-up for some of the first stops include: Krist Novoselic (censorship), Michael Franti (racism), Andy Dick (drug abuse) and Rosie Perez (AIDS education). Indigo Girls Amy Ray (human rights) and Emily Saliers, as well as Moon Zappa ("The Flaws of Gravity"?) and activist Julia "Butterfly" Hill (deforestation), will be making their first appearances this year. More speakers will be announced as the dates near; Speakers from past years like Perry Farrell, Art Alexakis, Ice-T, Mickey Hart and Woody Harrelson are possible guests, though they are not confirmed. Check out the Spitfire website for more info.

The first seven Spitfire tour dates are:
    3/9: Portland, OR, Reed College
    4/3: Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University
    4/4: Edwardsville, IL, Southern Illinois University
    4/5: Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University
    4/6: Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University
    4/25: Columbia, MO, University of Missouri
    5/12: Cincinnati, OH, University of Cincinnati



Zack w/ Dialated Peoples, Brad & Tom w/ Cypress Hill, Tim... - 4/27/00

Zack de la Rocha appears in the new Dilated People video, "The Platform". He's only in it for a few seconds; he lipsynchs the chorus. (Thanks to P.A. ROTH)

On the new Cypress Hill CD, "Skull & Bones,"�Brad Wilk plays the drums on "Can't Get The Best Of Me," from the "Bones Disc." If you buy the CD�at Wherehouse Music stores it comes with an extra CD, the song "Checkmate" is remixed by Tom Morello. (Thanks to [email protected])

Tim is probably funking it up in his spare time.



Chuck D on Rage - 4/26/99

The 3 most important artists of the 90s, according to Chuck D:

1: Wu-tang
2: Rage Against the Machine
3: Tupac
Tom is quoted as saying that Rage will do an "extensive USA tour in August/September of this year."



Public Enemy, The Roots, and Rage Against the Machine - 4/15/00

From Chuck D: "Right now I�m finishing lyrics to three projects, a verse each for the Original Jazzy Jeff�s album, Kool Moe Dee, and a remake of BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and the ROOTS for SPIKE LEE�S new flick." (Thanks to [email protected])



Tom at Janitor's Rally - 4/13/00

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello joined some 2,000 janitors in a downtown Los Angeles rally on Wednesday (April 12) evening in support of a 10-day-old janitorial labor strike over fair wages and improved working conditions.

"Why should the people who clean the offices make less than the people making them dirty?" questions Morello from behind the rallying cries of "Si, se puede!" [Yes, we can do it!] at the rally. "If you're going to have a society that's based on democracy and human rights, that democracy should extend to the workplace as well. These are people who are just being shit on by management. If management could get away with it, they would pay them a dollar less an hour."

Morello presented the striking janitors, who are demanding a pay raise of $1 per hour each year over the next three years, with a check for $5,000 on behalf of Rage Against the Machine -- longtime activists against political and economical injustices in Los Angeles and around the world. In his brief speech during the candlelight vigil, Morello blamed management and greed as one of America's evil downfalls.

"In a time of record profits, janitors who work full time still must sometimes chose between food and medicine for their children," said Morello. "And in a time of record profits, the company managers have made insulting counter offers, hired scabs, and stood by smiling while striking janitors were pushed around and arrested by the cops. It's proof that we live in an economy where no matter how high the Dow Jones average goes, many Americans are left behind."

The rolling strike is affecting area buildings all across Los Angeles, as striking workers have scheduled rallies in front of prominent buildings from Beverly Hills, Calif. to Pasadena, Calif. and nearly everywhere in between. The strike began on April 3, three days after a five-year master contract covering some 8,500 L.A. janitors expired on March 31. Most janitors in the area make between $6-$8 per hour, even after years of service. Money magazine rates the cost of living in Los Angeles at 128.5 percent the national average.

"They are asking for a dollar an hour more to try to get their wages to the subsistence level while the people that are saying 'No' are making record profits," Morello told allstar. "Their cause is completely just." (From Allstar [story and photos by Kevin Raub] - thanks to Kenny Luong)



Rage in Australia - 4/10/00

"Drum Media" (a local Australian music magazine) is reporting that Rage will be touring Australia in October, instead of May. The change is presumably due to the recording of Zack's solo album. (Thanks to Des Lau)



Tom in Guitar One - 4/10/00

The new issue of Guitar One has an "AllStars 2000" section which categorizes and ranks different guitar players. Tom Morello was ranked 2nd in the "Innovative Guitar Playing" category (I think), but also had some comments on Tool's Adam Jones, who was ranked 3rd in the "Best Riff Architect" category: "Their music has an intensity and heaviness that takes the absolute best elements of hard rock/heavy metal and drains all the bullshit out of it."



Rage at the Bammies - 4/9/00

Rage Against the Machine took home the following 5 BAMMIE Awards:

  • Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album Award: "The Battle of Los Angeles"
  • Outstanding Group
  • Artist of the Year
  • The Arthur M. Sohcot Award for Public Excellence
  • Outstanding Guitarist: Tom Morello

While accepting the awards, Tom Morello said that the Fraternal Order Of Police, the largest police organization in the country, proved ineffective in its attempts at several tour stops across the country to counter Rage's outspoken stance in favor of Abu-Jamal, whom the band believes to be innocent: "This police organization is trying to tell you what music is acceptable for you to listen to, what concerts are acceptable for you to go to, and what ideas are acceptable for you to be exposed to," Morello stated. "The reason why they called a boycott of Rage is not because they're afraid of us, but because they're afraid of you, because the more you know the more dangerous you are. But I think that you know a lot already, because despite the boycott, our shows sold out, our record went to number one, and we won a shitload of California Music Awards tonight."

Morello accepted the award on behalf of his bandmates and all the causes his band supports, including the garment workers' union, the Zapatistas, the Anti-Nazi League, and the United Farm Workers. He also thanked the fans, singling out those in the cheap seats at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, for their support: "Thank you very much for making their boycott a complete failure. And thank you very much for telling the pro-censorship forces in no uncertain terms, `Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me.'" (Thanks to Ian Mance among many others)



Zack in film "Black and White" - 4/7/00

About 10 minutes into the film "Black and White", there is a scene at the home of the main character with a big screen TV displaying a 5-10 second clip from the video for "C.I.A. (Criminals in Action)", the song Zack recorded with KRS-1 and the Last Emperor for Rawkus Records Lyricist Lounge Compilation.



Summary of Upcoming Shows - 4/6/00

Here's some upcoming shows at which Rage will play:

  • HFStival, Washington DC: May 28th.
  • Rock AM Ring Festival: June 9-11
  • Heineken Jammin' Festival in Imola, Italy: June 16
  • Swedish Hultsfred Festival: June 17
  • Provinssirock, Finland: June 18
  • Reading/Leeds Festival, UK: August 25 (at Reading) and 27 (at Leeds)
  • Neil Young's Bridge Benefit: October (an acoustic show)

Anything else will be posted to this same update, even if it gradually makes it's way down the page due to other news updates. Check back if you're interested. Also: The Beastie Boys website is holding a poll asking fans which band they'd like to see tour with the Beastie Boys. So far, Rage Against the Machine has recieved the most votes. A tour with Rage and the Beastie Boys has been mentioned more than once, so it seems likely for the summer.

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