Tom Morello on the Original Rage Against The Machine Demo: 'Like a Raw Wound'

Tom Morello on the Original Rage Against The Machine Demo: "Like a Raw Wound"

By Daniel Kohn Tue., Nov. 27 2012 at 8:38 AM

Looking back, I can remember that day clearly. It was an outdoor lunchtime concert where another friend of the band who booked us that gig and I remember that we were playing while people were walking back and forth with their lunches. You can see in the video that midway through the concert, a couple of these hesher dudes stopped to check it out. You can tell that they're not impressed, but maybe it's better than going off to geometry class or wherever. And then the end of "Bullet In The End" happens and one dude looks at the other and gives the "Not so bad, bro" look. By the end of "Freedom," they're banging their heads like they're at an Iron Maiden concert, which was pretty awesome.

Would you prefer the headbanging dudes as opposed to the Paul Ryans of the world?

Paul Ryan is welcome to headbang at a show anytime, but if he wants to enact policy that's going to hurt 99.9 percent of Rage Against The Machine fans, then he's likely to hear about it from me. One of the strengths of Rage Against The Machine has always been the music casts a wide net. Many people were drawn to the band initially not because of politics, but because of the power, aggression and the fusion of hip-hop and rock. They were exposed to a new set of ideas that could change their minds or change their lives. That's something that we as a band are pretty proud. Speaking of which, early on, the LA Weekly could never spell the band's name right in the concert section. We were once listed as Rag And Ain't The Machine, so if nothing else after 20 years, people have learned how to spell our name right.

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I remember being a teen at Inside Out and Hard Stance (Zach's previous hardcore bands) shows and digging those bands at the time (in the late 80's). I did not like Rage Against The Machine or the subsequent mainstream Alternative Bands that came after that. They just sounded so contrived to me. A point of view which i guess would be hard to understand for people who were previously listening to motley crue or mainstream people awoken by a band like Nirvana and Pearl Jam and thought that they were truly revolutionary. hahaha. that was so silly.

adamgimbel

I was there at Northridge. Definitely the best lunch I ever had while in college. Seemed out of place to have someone so angry up there but seeing them in front of masses was amazing. Morello was mindblowing even early on...

Juice Cortez

Thanks for the enlightenment to my youth and self awareness that we are not the immigrants nor the minority! The DMC in for the bush and Gore presidential concert was hands down the best!

Aaron Mendoza

I saw them back in the 90's. they were great. I no longer agree 100% with their political agenda but they are still a great band

HiDonkey

Lets be cool Americans and evolve with the bands albums. So hip.

Michael Clementine-Everest Dominguez

17 or so years ago every Tower Records location handed out 50 tickets to the first 50 people in line. I camped out all night with friends. we just barely made it under 50, got our tickets, said bad luck to the other 300 in line past us, and drove out to Dominguez Hills College where they put on a free concert for those ticket holders to launch the Revolver album. Biggest mosh pit I ever saw. One of the best fucking concerts I've ever been to. It was great.