Rage Against the Machine
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{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Rage Against the Machine
| Img = RATM bdo.jpg
| Img_capt = Rage Against The Machine performing at the 2008 [[Big Day Out]] festival. From left to right: Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello.
| Img_size = 250
| Landscape = yes
| Background = group_or_band
| Alias =
| Origin = [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[United States]]
| Genre = <!-- TO AVOID GENRE WARRING PLEASE EDIT THIS ONLY IF YOU HAVE A RELIABLE SOURCE -->[[Hard rock]]<ref>{{cite book | last = George-Warren | first = Holly | title = The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll | publisher = Fireside | location = New York | year = 2001 | isbn = 9780743201209 }}</ref><br/>[[Funk metal]]<ref name="real.com">{{cite web|last=Kate|first=Marc|title=Rage Against the Machine|url=http://uk.real.com/music/artist/Rage_Against_the_Machine |publisher=[[RealNetworks]]|accessdate=2007-07-27}}</ref><br/>[[Rapcore]]<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|title=Rage Against the Machine - Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kpfpxqw5ldje~T1 |publisher=[[Allmusic]]|date=2004|accessdate=2007-05-03}}</ref><br/>[[Alternative metal]]<ref name="allmusic"/>
| Years_active = 1991–2000<br/>2007–present<!-- Tour dates ranging from October 07 to January 08 have all been confirmed. Until it is officially stated by the band, or another reliable source, that those shows will be their last, they are considered currently active. -->
| Label = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| Associated_acts =[[The Nightwatchman]]<br /> [[Audioslave]]<br/>[[Inside Out]]<br/>[[Lock Up (US band)|Lock Up]]<br/>[[Class of '99]]<br/>[[Electric Sheep (band)|Electric Sheep]]<br/>[[Greta (band)|Greta]]<br/>[[One Day As a Lion]]
| URL = [http://www.ratm.com/ www.ratm.com]
| Current_members = [[Zack de la Rocha]]<br/>[[Tom Morello]]<br/>[[Tim Commerford]]<br/>[[Brad Wilk]]
}}
'''Rage Against the Machine''' (sometimes abbreviated '''RATM''' or '''Rage''') is<!-- Please do not change this to "are". This articles uses American English as the subject is an American band. --> an [[United States|American]] [[rock band]], formed in {{city-state|Los Angeles|California}} in 1991. The band's continual members are [[rapper]] [[Zack de la Rocha]], [[guitarist]] [[Tom Morello]], [[bassist]] [[Tim Commerford]], and [[drummer]] [[Brad Wilk]]. Rage Against the Machine is noted for its blend of [[rap]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[funk]] and [[rock music|rock]] as well as its revolutionary politics and [[lyrics]]. Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early [[heavy metal music|metal]] instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]], [[Urban Dance Squad]],and [[Afrika Bambaataa]].<ref name="allmusic"/> The group's music is distinguished primarily by de la Rocha's rhyming styles and powerful stage energy, and Morello's unorthodox guitar techniques.
Rage Against the Machine released their debut album ''[[Rage Against the Machine (album)|Rage Against the Machine]]'' in 1992, which became a commercial success. Following a slot in the 1993 [[Lollapalooza]], the band did not release a follow-up record until ''[[Evil Empire (album)|Evil Empire]]'' in 1996. The band's third album ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]'' was released in 1999. During their initial nine year run, they became one of the most popular and influential political bands in contemporary music.<ref name="Devenish">Devenish, Colin (2001), ''Rage Against the Machine'': [[St. Martin's Press|St. Martin's Griffin]] ISBN 0-312-27316-6</ref>
In 2000, shortly after breaking up, the band released their fourth studio album ''[[Renegades (album)|Renegades]]''. Zack de la Rocha started a low-key solo career; the rest of the band formed the rock [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] [[Audioslave]] with former [[Soundgarden]] frontman [[Chris Cornell]], which disbanded in 2007. In April 2007 Rage Against the Machine performed together for the first time in seven years at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]]. The band has continued to perform at multiple live venues since.
==History==
===Early years (1991–1992)===
In 1991, guitarist Tom Morello left his old band, [[Lock Up (US band)|Lock Up]], looking to start another band. Morello was in a club in L.A where Zack de la Rocha was free-style rapping. Morello was impressed by de la Rocha's lyric books, and asked him to be a rapper in a band. Morello drafted drummer Brad Wilk of [[Greta (band)|Greta]], who had previously auditioned for Lock Up, while de la Rocha convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford to join as bassist. The newly christened Rage Against the Machine named themselves after a song de la Rocha had written for his former popular underground [[hardcore punk]] band, [[Inside Out]] (also to be the title of the unrecorded ''[[Inside Out]]'' full-length album).<ref>Myers, Ben ([[October 16]], [[1999]]), [http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/kerrang1099.htm Hello, Hello... ...It's Good To Be Back], ''[[Kerrang!]]''. Retrieved [[February 27]], [[2007]].</ref> [[Kent McClard]], with whom [[Inside Out]] were associated, had previously coined the phrase in a 1989 article in his [[zine]] ''[[No Answers]]''.<ref>[[Kent McClard|McClard, Kent]], [http://www.ebullition.com/catalog.html#5 History] of Ebullition Records. Retrieved [[February 19]], [[2007]]</ref>
Shortly after forming, they gave their first public performance in [[Orange County, California]], where a friend of Commerford's was holding a house party. The blueprint for the group's major-label debut album was laid on a twelve-song self-released cassette, the cover image of which was the stock-market with a single match taped to the inlay card. Not all 12 songs made it onto the final album—two were eventually included as [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]], with the remaining three songs never seeing an official release.<ref>{{cite web | last = Woodlief | first = Mark | title = Rage Against the Machine | publisher = [[TrouserPress.com]] | url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=rage_against_the_machine | accessdate = 2007-01-07}}</ref>
Several record labels expressed interest, and the band eventually signed with [[Epic Records]]. Morello said, "Epic agreed to everything we asked—and they've followed through.... We never saw a[n] [ideological] conflict as long as we maintained creative control."<ref name="officialfaq">[http://web.archive.org/web/20060526032423/http://www.ratm.de/faq/ragefaq.html Rage Against the Machine FAQ], [[Internet Archive]] cache of FAQ on the official Rage Against the Machine website. Retrieved [[February 17]], [[2007]]</ref>
===Mainstream success (1992–2000)===
[[Image:Pochoir Killing in the Name.JPG|left|thumb|Lyrics from RATM's debut single, "[[Killing in the Name]]", appear throughout popular culture.]]
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The band's debut album, ''Rage Against the Machine'', reached [[RIAA certification|triple platinum]] status, driven by heavy radio play of the song "[[Killing in the Name]]", a heavy, driving track repeating six lines of lyrics. The uncensored version, which contains 17 iterations of the word ''[[fuck]]'', was once notoriously played on the [[BBC Radio 1]] [[UK Singles Chart|Top 40 singles]] show.<ref>{{cite web | last=Robinson | first=John | date=[[January 29]], [[2000]] | title=The Revolution Will Not be Trivialised | work=[[NME]] | url=http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/trivialized.htm | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> The album's cover featured [[Malcolm Browne]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning photograph of [[Thích Quảng Đức]], a [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] monk, [[self-immolation|burning himself to death]] in [[Saigon]] in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by [[Prime Minister of Vietnam|Prime Minister]] [[Ngo Dinh Diem|Ngô Đình Diệm]]'s regime. To promote the album and its core message of [[social justice]] and [[Social equality|equality]], the band went on tour, playing at Lollapalooza 1993 and as support for [[Suicidal Tendencies]] in Europe.
After their debut album, the band appeared on the soundtrack for the film ''[[Higher Learning]]'' with the song "Year of tha Boomerang". An early version of "[[Tire Me]]" would also appear during the movie. Subsequently, they recorded an original song, "Darkness", for the soundtrack of ''[[The Crow (film)|The Crow]]'' and also "[[No Shelter]]" appeared on the ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' soundtrack.
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{{Listen|filename=Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade (sample).ogg|title="Bulls on Parade"|description=Sample of "[[Bulls on Parade]]" from ''[[Evil Empire]]'' (1996) featuring an innovative, hip-hop influenced guitar solo by guitarist Tom Morello.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
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Rage Against The Machine's second album, ''Evil Empire'', entered Billboard's Top 200 chart at number one in 1996. The song "[[Bulls on Parade]]" was performed on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' in April 1996. Their planned two-song performance was cut to one song when the band attempted to hang inverted American flags from their amplifiers (a sign of distress or great danger){{fact|date=June 2008}}, a protest against having Republican presidential candidate [[Steve Forbes]] as guest host on the program that night.{{fact|date=June 2008}}
In 1997, the band opened for [[U2]] on their [[PopMart Tour]], for which all Rage's profits went to support social organizations.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A730883 BBC.co.uk h2g2 entry for Rage Against the Machine]</ref> including [[Unite (trade union)|U.N.I.T.E.]] , Women Alive and the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|Zapatista Front for National Liberation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=997&Key=&Year=1997&Cat=2 |title=Rage Against the Machine and U2 Make a Perfect Pairing |accessdate=2007-07-11 |format=newspaper article |work=The State }}</ref> Rage subsequently began an abortive headlining US tour with special guests [[Wu-Tang Clan]]. Police in several jurisdictions unsuccessfully attempted to have the concerts cancelled, citing amongst other reasons, the bands' "violent and anti-law enforcement philosophies".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rwor.org/a/v19/920-29/925/rage.htm |title=Police Censorship Targets Rage |accessdate=2007-07-11 |format=online article |work=Revolutionary Worker #925 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=2559779&date=19970911 |title=Judge Gives Go-Ahead For Rage Concert Tomorrow At The Gorge |accessdate=2007-07-11 |format=newspaper article |work=[[Seattle Times]] }}</ref> [[Wu-Tang Clan]] were eventually removed from the line-up and replaced with [[The Roots]]. On the Japan leg of their tour promoting ''Evil Empire'', a [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] album composed of the band's [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] recordings titled ''[[Live & Rare (album)|Live & Rare]]'' was released by [[Sony Records]]. A live video, also titled ''[[Rage Against the Machine (video)|Rage Against the Machine]]'', was released later the same year.
The following release, ''The Battle of Los Angeles'' also debuted at number one in 1999, selling 450,000 copies the first week and then going [[RIAA certification|double-platinum]].{{fact|date=June 2008}} That same year the song "[[Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine song)|Wake Up]]" was featured on the soundtrack of the film ''[[The Matrix]]''. The track "[[Calm Like a Bomb]]" was later featured in the film's sequel, 2003's ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]''. In 2000, the band planned to support the [[Beastie Boys]] on the "Rhyme and Reason" tour; however, the tour was canceled when Beastie Boys drummer [[Mike D]] suffered a serious injury.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jessicasimpson/articles/story/5922676/really_randoms_jessica_simpson_oasis |title=Really Randoms: Jessica Simpson, Oasis |accessdate=2007-07-11 |format=magazine article |work=[[Rolling Stone]] }}</ref>
===Break-up and subsequent projects (2000–2005)===
On [[October 18]], [[2000]], de la Rocha released a statement announcing his departure from the band. He said, "I feel that it is now necessary to leave Rage because our decision-making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band, and from my perspective, has undermined our artistic and political ideal."<ref name="zackquit">{{cite web | last=Armstrong | first=Mark | date=[[October 18]], 2000 | title=Zack de la Rocha Leaves Rage Against the Machine | work=[[MTV News]] | url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=460baa38-4bb2-4eab-9395-22a301d24afb&entry=index | accessdate=2007-02-17}}</ref> The band's final studio album, ''[[Renegades (album)|Renegades]]'', released shortly after the band's dissolution, was a collection of [[cover version|covers]] of artists as diverse as [[Devo]], [[Cypress Hill]], [[MC5]], and [[Bob Dylan]].<ref name="allmusic"/> The following year saw the release of another live video, ''[[The Battle of Mexico City]]'', and 2003 saw the release of a [[live album]] titled ''[[Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium]]'', an edited recording of the band's final two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2000 at the [[Grand Olympic Auditorium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Bush|first=John|title="Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium" - Overview|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:aifoxqr0ldde|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|date=2003|accessdate=2008-03-16}}</ref> It was accompanied by an expanded [[DVD]] release of the last show, and also included the previously unreleased music video for "[[Bombtrack (song)|Bombtrack]]".
[[Image:Audioslave 2005.jpg|thumb|Wilk, Commerford and Morello performing with [[Chris Cornell]] as [[Audioslave]] at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in 2005.]]
After the group's breakup, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford briefly tried to replace de la Rocha in RATM. Rumoured vocalists at the time included [[Rey Oropeza]] of [[downset.]], [[Chuck D]] of [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]], and [[B-Real]] of [[Cypress Hill]].{{fact|date=June 2008}} However, the band teamed up with former [[Soundgarden]] singer [[Chris Cornell]] to form a new band, Audioslave. The first Audioslave single, "[[Cochise (song)|Cochise]]", was released in early November 2002, and the debut album, ''[[Audioslave (album)|Audioslave]]'', followed to mainly positive reviews. Their second album ''[[Out of Exile]]'' debuted at the number one position on the Billboard charts in 2005.{{fact|date=June 2008}} The band released a third album named ''[[Revelations (album)|Revelations]]'' on [[September 5]], [[2006]]. The band vowed to have a "one-album-per-year" schedule, until the departure of Chris Cornell on [[February 15]], [[2007]].<ref name="cornellquit">{{cite web | last = Harris | first = Chris | title = Chris Cornell Talks Audioslave Split, Nixes Rumors Of Soundgarden Reunion | work = [[MTV News]] |date=[[February 15]], [[2007]] | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1552582/20070215/audioslave.jhtml | accessdate = 2007-02-16}}</ref>
Morello began his own solo career in 2003, playing political acoustic [[folk music]] at [[open mike|open-mic nights]] and various clubs under the alias [[The Nightwatchman]]. He first participated in [[Billy Bragg]]'s Tell Us the Truth tour<ref>{{cite web | last=Wiederhorn | first=Jon | title=Tom Morello Rages Against A New Machine On Solo Acoustic Tour | work=[[MTV News]] | date=[[October 22]], 2003 | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479880/20031022/audioslave.jhtml | accessdate=2007-02-18}}</ref> with no plans to record,<ref>{{cite web | last=Moss | first=Corey | title=Audioslave's Morello Says New LP Feels Less Like Soundgarden + Rage | work=[[MTV News]] | date=[[July 29]], 2004 | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1489715/20040726/audioslave.jhtml | accessdate=2007-02-18}}</ref> but later recorded a song for ''[[Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11]]'', "No One Left". In February 2007, he announced a solo album, entitled ''[[One Man Revolution]]'', which was released in April 2007.<ref name="firedup">{{cite web | last=Harris | first=Chris | date=[[February 6]], 2007 | title=Nightwatchman, Rage Reunion Have Morello Fired Up For Political Fights | work=[[MTV News]] | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1551733/20070206/morello_tom.jhtml | accessdate=2007-02-18}}</ref>
Meanwhile, de la Rocha had been working on a solo album collaboration with [[DJ Shadow]], [[Company Flow]], and [[The Roots]]' [[?uestlove]],<ref name="zackquit"/> but dropped the project in favor of working with [[Nine Inch Nails]]' [[Trent Reznor]].<ref name="reznor">{{cite web | last = Moss | first = Corey | title = Reznor Says Collabos With De La Rocha, Keenan May Never Surface | work = [[MTV News]] | date = [[May 10]], [[2005]] | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1501617/20050510/reznor_trent.jhtml | accessdate = 2007-02-17}}</ref> Recording was completed, but the album will probably never be released.<ref>{{cite web | last = Gargano | first = Paul | title = Nine Inch Nails (interview) | work = Maximum Ink Music Magazine |date=October 2005 | url = http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=845 | accessdate = 2007-02-17}}</ref> A collaboration between de la Rocha and DJ Shadow, the song "March of Death" was released for free over the [[World Wide Web]] in 2003 in protest against the imminent [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]],<ref>[http://www.zackdelarocha.com/ Zack de la Rocha.com], official website promoting "March of Death". Retrieved [[February 17]], [[2007]].</ref> and the 2004 soundtrack ''[[Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11]]'' included one of the collaborations with Reznor, "We Want It All".<ref name="reznor"/> In late 2005, de la Rocha was seen singing and playing the [[jarana]] with [[Son Jarocho]] band Son de Madera on multiple occasions.<ref>"King of Rage Onstage Again" (February 2006), ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''.</ref>
Members of the band had been offered large sums of money to reunite for concerts and tours, and had turned the offers down.<ref>{{cite web | title = Chris Cornell Working on Solo Release - But Dismisses Rumors of Audioslave Split | work = [[MTV News]] | publisher = MTV.com | url =http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1537179/20060726/cornell_chris.jhtml?headlines=true | accessdate = 2007-01-07}}</ref> Rumors of bad blood between de la Rocha and the other former band members subsequently circulated, but Commerford said that he and de la Rocha see each other often and go surfing together, while Morello said he and de la Rocha communicate by phone, and had met up at a [[September 15]], [[2005]] protest in support of the [[South Central Farm]].<ref>''Rockline'' interviews Audioslave. [[August 29]], 2006.</ref>
===Reunion (2007-present)===
{{main|Rage Against the Machine reunion tour}}
[[Image:Zach de la Rocha at 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.jpg|thumb|right|[[Zack de la Rocha]] performing with Rage Against the Machine at Coachella 2007.]]
Rumors that Rage Against the Machine could reunite at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]] were circulating in mid-January 2007,<ref>{{cite web | last = Cohen | first = Jonathan | authorlink = Jonathan Cohen | title = Morello Goes Solo, Rage To Reunite? | work = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher = Billboard.com | date = [[January 19]], 2007 | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003535273 | accessdate = 2007-01-21}}</ref> and were confirmed on [[January 22]].<ref>{{cite web | last = Boucher | first = Geoff | title = Rage Against the Machine will reunite for Coachella | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] | publisher = LATimes.com | date = [[January 22]], 2007 | url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-coachella22jan22,1,6747076.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true | accessdate = 2007-01-22}}</ref> The band was confirmed to be headlining the final day of Coachella 2007.<ref>{{cite web | last = Finn | first = Natalie | title = Rage On at Coachella | work = [[E! News]] | publisher = EOnline.com | date = [[January 22]], [[2007]] | url =http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=66ffd892-90fe-44c0-8b4c-edab6e3990f3&entry=index | accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref> The reunion was described by Morello as primarily being a vehicle to voice the band's opposition to the "[[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[purgatory]]" the [[United States]] has "slid into" under the [[George W. Bush administration]] since RATM's dissolution.<ref>{{cite web | title = Rage Against the Machine discuss reunion | publisher = [[NME]] |date=[[February 2]], [[2007]] | url = http://www.nme.com/news/rage-against-the-machine/26197 | accessdate = 2007-02-03}}</ref> Though the performance was initially thought to be a one-off,<ref>{{cite web | last = Cohen | first = Jonathan | authorlink = Jonathan Cohen | title = Rage, Bjork, Chili Peppers Sign On For Coachella | work = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher = Billboard.com | date = [[January 22]], [[2007]] | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003535501 | accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref> this turned out not to be the case.
On [[April 14]], [[2007]], Morello and de la Rocha reunited onstage early to perform a brief acoustic set at a [[Coalition of Immokalee Workers]] rally in downtown Chicago. Morello described the event as "very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included."<ref>{{cite web | date=[[April 20]], [[2007]] | title=Rage Against the Machine Guitarist Calls Rally Performance 'Very Exciting' | work=Launch Radio Networks | publisher=93X Rock News| url=http://93x.com/blog.asp?id=390561&SBID=4444 | accessdate=2007-04-21}}</ref> This was followed by the scheduled Coachella performance on Sunday, [[April 29]] where the band staged a much anticipated performance in front of an [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|EZLN]] backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival.<ref name="reunionnme">{{cite web | last=Staff Writer | date=[[April 30]], 2007 | title=Rage Against the Machine reunite at Coachella | work=[[NME]] | url=http://www.nme.com/news/coachella/28013 | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref><ref name="reunionyahoo">{{cite web | last=Sulugiuc | first=Gelu |date=[[April 30]], [[2007]] | title=Rage Against the Machine reunites | work=Reuters | publisher=Yahoo! News | url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070430/en_nm/rage_dc | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref><ref name="reunionmtv">{{cite web | last=Moss | first=Corey |date=[[April 30]], [[2007]] | title=Rage Against the Machine's Ferocious Reunion Caps Coachella's Final Night | work=[[MTV News]] | publisher=MTV.com | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1558334/20070430/rage_against_the_machine.jhtml | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref>
Rage Against the Machine has continued to tour the United States, [[New Zealand]], [[Australia]], and [[Japan]],<ref>{{cite web | first=cecbuzz | date=[[September 19]], [[2007]] | title=Rage Against the Machine tour announced | work=fasterlouder.com.au | publisher=www.fasterlouder.com.au | url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/10520/Rage-Against-the-Machine-tour-announced.htm | accessdate=2007-09-26}}</ref> and plan to play a series of shows in [[Europe]] in Summer 2008 including [[T in the Park]], [[Rock am Ring and Rock im Park]], [[Pinkpop]], [[Oxegen]] and the [[Reading and Leeds Festivals]] in [[England]].{{fact|date=June 2008}}. The band is also scheduled to perform on August 2, 2008, in Chicago as one of the headlines (Radiohead and Kanye West being the two others) for the 2008 Lollapalooza music festival.
<!-- Please do not add information about upcoming concerts unless they are hugely significant to the history of the band -->
When asked in May 2007 if the band were planning on writing a new album, Morello replied:
{{cquote2|There are no plans to do that... That's a whole other ball of wax right there. Writing and recording albums is a whole different thing than getting back on the bike (laughs), you know, and playing these songs. But I think that the one thing about the [[Rage Against the Machine discography|Rage catalog]] is that to me none of it feels dated. You know, it doesn't feel at all like a nostalgia show. It feels like these are songs that were born and bred to be played now.|Tom Morello|''[[Blabbermouth.net]], [[May 1]], [[2007]]''<ref name="futurealbum">{{cite web | date=[[May 1]], [[2007]] | title=Tom Morello: 'No Plans' For New Rage Against the Machine Album | work=[[Blabbermouth.net]] | publisher=Ultimateguitar.com | url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/tom_morello_no_plans_for_new_rage_against_the_machine_album.html | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref>}}
More recently, as of [[April 7]], 2008, Morello has reportedly chosen not to comment about the possibility of a new album when interviewed by [[MTV News]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Harris|first=Chris|title=Tom Morello Talks Obama, Not Rage Against The Machine, On Set Of Anti-Flag Video|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1584964/20080407/anti_flag.jhtml|work=MTV News|date=2008-04-07|accessdate=2008-04-24}}</ref> In July 2008, it was revealed that de la Rocha had begun a new project called [[One Day As a Lion]] with drummer [[Jon Theodore]] from [[The Mars Volta]], with an eponymous EP due out [[July 22]], [[2008]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=380021|title=Anti Records Signs One Day As A Lion|last=Tao|first=Paul|date=July 1st, 2008|publisher=Absolutepunk.net|accessdate=2008-07-02}}</ref>
Rage Against The Machine are currently touring under a blanket policy which forbids any of their performances to be broadcast on television.
==Political views and activism==
[[Image:RATM - Burningamp.jpg|thumb|right|RATM [[flag desecration|burning]] the [[flag of the United States]] at [[Woodstock 1999]]]]
Integral to their identity as a band, Rage Against the Machine voice [[revolution]]ary viewpoints highly critical of the domestic and foreign policies of the U.S. government. Throughout its existence, RATM and its individual members participated in political [[protest]]s and other [[activism]] to advocate these beliefs. The band primarily saw its music as a vehicle for [[social activism]]; de la Rocha explained that "I'm interested in spreading those ideas through art, because music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue."<ref name="Juice">Wooldridge, Simon (February 2000), "[http://musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/juice00.htm Fight the Power]", ''[[Juice Magazine]]''. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref> Morello said of [[wage slavery]] in America:
{{cquote2|America touts itself as the land of the free, but the number one freedom that you and I have is the freedom to enter into a subservient role in the workplace. Once you exercise this freedom you've lost all control over what you do, what is produced, and how it is produced. And in the end, the product doesn't belong to you. The only way you can avoid bosses and jobs is if you don't care about making a living. Which leads to the second freedom: the freedom to starve.|Tom Morello|''[[Guitar World]]''<ref>Young, Charles M. (February 1997), [http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/guitaryear.htm Tom Morello: Artist of the Year interview], ''[[Guitar World]]''. Retrieved [[February 17]], [[2007]].</ref>}}
Meanwhile, detractors pointed out the tension between voicing commitment to leftist causes while being signed to [[Epic Records]], a [[subsidiary]] of media conglomerate [[Sony Records]]. [[Infectious Grooves]] released a song called "Do What I Tell Ya!" which mocks lyrics from "Killing in the Name", accusing the band of being hypocrites. In response to such critiques, Morello offered the rebuttal:
{{cquote|When you live in a [[capitalism|capitalistic]] society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would [[Noam Chomsky]] object to his works being sold at [[Barnes & Noble]]? No, because that's where people buy their books. We're not interested in preaching to just the converted. It's great to play abandoned [[squatting|squats]] run by [[anarchism|anarchists]], but it's also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from [[Granada Hills]] to [[Stuttgart]].<ref name="officialfaq"/>}}
At the Coachella 2007 performance, De la Rocha made an impassionated speech during "[[Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine song)|Wake Up]]", citing a statement by [[Noam Chomsky]] regarding the [[Nuremberg Trials]],<ref name="chomskyinterview">[http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/rage/ Tom Morello interviews Noam Chomsky], ''[[ZMag]]''. Accessed June 21, 2007.</ref> as follows:
{{cquote2|A good friend of ours once said that if the same laws were applied to U.S. presidents as were applied to the [[Nazis]] after [[World War II]] [...] every single one of them, every last rich white one of them from [[Harry Truman|Truman]] on, would have been hung to death and shot—and this current administration is no exception. They should be hung, and tried, and shot. As any war criminal should be.<ref name="reunionmtv"/>}}
{{Wikiquote|Zack de la Rocha}}
The event led to a media furor. A clip of Zack's speech found its way to the Fox News program "Hannity & Colmes." An on-screen headline read, "Rock group Rage Against the Machine says Bush admin should be shot." [[Ann Coulter]] (a guest on the show) stated, "They’re losers, their fans are losers, and there’s a lot of violence coming from the left wing."<ref>{{cite web | date=[[May 4]], [[2007]] | title=Rage Against Bush | work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] | url=http://www.spin.com/features/everybodystalkingabout/2007/05/070504_rage/ | accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref> On July 28th and 29th, Rage co-headlined the hip hop festival [[Rock the Bells]]. On [[July 28]], they made a speech during Wake Up just as they had done at Coachella. During this, De La Rocha made another statement, defending the band from [[Fox News]], who he alleged misquoted his speech at Coachella:
{{cquote2|A couple of months ago, those fascist motherfuckers at the Fox News Network attempted to pin this band into a corner by suggesting that we said that the president should be assassinated. Nah, what we said was that he should be brought to trial as war criminal and hung and shot. THAT'S what we said. And we don't back away from the position because the real assassinator is Bush and Cheney and the whole administration for the lives they have destroyed here and in Iraq. They're the ones. And what they refused to air which was far more provocative in my mind and in the minds of my bandmates is this: this system has become so brutal and vicious and cruel that it needs to start wars and profit from the destruction around the world in order to survive as a world power. THAT's what we said. And we refuse not to stand up, we refuse to back down from that position...<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMuWTsEZRLo YouTube - Zack de la Rocha Speech, Rock the Bells NYC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}}
===EZLN===
[[Image:Flag of the EZLN.svg|thumb|right|The "black flag and a red star" of the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation]] as referenced in the track "War Within a Breath" (1999)]]
The band are vocal supporters of the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation]] (EZLN), especially de la Rocha, who has taken several trips to the [[Mexico|Mexican]] state of [[Chiapas]] to aid their efforts. The flag of the EZLN serves as the primary recurring theme in the band's visual art. Morello described the EZLN as "a guerrilla army who represent the poor indigenous communities in southern Mexico who, for hundreds of years, have been trodden upon and sort of cast aside and which really are the lowest form on the economic -social ladder in Mexico. In 1994, on New Years Day, there was an uprising there and they were led by the very charismatic [[Subcomandante Marcos]] and it's a group which is tremendously supportive of the most objectively poor and continues to fight for dignity, for all people in Mexico."<ref>[http://musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/jjj.htm Tom Morello interview] on [[Triple J]], October 31, 1999.</ref> An interviewer was once told by de la Rocha, "Our purpose in sympathising with the Zapatistas is to help spark [real] dialogue."<ref name="Juice"/>
De la Rocha has been particularly outspoken on the cause of the EZLN. He explained the importance of the cause to him personally:
{{cquote2|It is important for me, as a popular artist, to make clear to the governments of the United States and Mexico that despite the strategy of fear and intimidation to foreigners, despite their weapons, despite their immigration laws and military reserves, they will never be able to isolate the Zapatista communities from the people in the United States... Through concerts, videos, interviews, broadcasting of information at concerts, and our songs' lyrics we have placed within reach of young people, our audience, the experiences of the Zapatistas; we act as facilitators of the ways in which they can participate and put them in contact with the organization and the Zapatista support committees in the United States.<ref name="chiapas">"[http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/chiapas.htm Interview with Zack from Chiapas]" (July 19, 1998), ''Accion Zapatista de Austin''. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref>}}
The EZLN and de la Rocha's experiences with them inspired the songs "Wind Below", and "Without a Face" from ''Evil Empire''.<ref name="chiapas"/> and "War Within a Breath" from ''The Battle Of Los Angeles''.
The EXLN flag was used as a stage backdrop to the 2008 [[Oxegen]] and [[T in the Park]] concerts.
===Saturday Night Live===
On April 10th, 1996 the band was scheduled to perform two songs on the [[NBC]] comedy variety show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. The show was hosted that night by ex-[[Republican Party (U.S.)|Republican]] presidential candidate and billionaire [[Steve Forbes]]. According to an unidentified RATM member, "RATM wanted to stand in sharp juxtaposition to a billionaire telling jokes and promoting his [[flat tax]] by making our own statement."<ref name="SNL">Anon., [http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/snl.htm Saturday Nigt Live Incident], Public release and distribution. Retrieved November 12, 2007.</ref>.
To this end, the band hung two upside-down [[Flag of the United States|American flags]] from their amplifiers. Seconds before they took the stage to perform "[[Bulls on Parade]]", SNL and NBC sent stagehands in to pull the flags down.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rage Against the Machine|url=http://www.esquilax.com/flag/ratm.shtml|work=The Flag Burning Page|date=|accessdate=2008-03-16}}</ref> The inverted flags, says Morello, represented: {{cquote2|Our contention that American democracy is inverted when what passes for democracy is an electoral choice between two representatives of the privileged class. America's [[freedom of expression]] is inverted when you're free to say anything you want to say until it upsets a corporate sponsor. Finally, this was our way of expressing our opinion of the show's host, Steve Forbes.<ref name="SNL"/>}}
The band's first attempt to hang the flags during a pre-telecast rehearsal on Thursday were frustrated by SNL's producers, who "demanded that we take the flags down," according to Morello, "They said the sponsors would be upset, and that because Steve Forbes was on, they had to run a 'tighter' show." SNL also told the band it would mute objectionable lyrics in "[[Bullet in the Head (song)|Bullet in the Head]]" (which was supposed to be RATM's second song), and insisted that the song be bleeped in the studio because Forbes had friends and family there.<ref name="SNL"/>
On the night of the show, following the removal of the flags during the first performance, the band was approached by SNL and NBC officials and ordered to immediately leave the building. Upon hearing this, RATM bassist Commerford reportedly stormed Forbes' dressing room, throwing shreds from one of the torn down flags.
{{cquote2|SNL censored Rage, period. They could not have sucked up to the billionaire more. The thing that's ironic is SNL is supposedly this cutting edge show, but they proved they're bootlickers to their corporate masters when it comes down to it. They're cowards. It should come to no surprise that [[General Electric|GE]], which owns NBC, would find "Bullet" particularly offensive. GE is a major manufacturer of US planes used to commit war crimes in the [[Gulf War]], and bombs from those jets [[Gulf War#Civilian Infrastructure|destroyed hydroelectric dams]] which killed thousands of civilians in [[Iraq]].|Tom Morello}}
Morello noted that members of the Saturday Night Live cast and crew, whom he declined to name, "[e]xpressed solidarity with our actions, and a sense of shame that their show had censored the performance."<ref name="SNL"/>
===Radio Free L.A.===
''Radio Free Los Angeles'' was a radio show held by the band on [[January 20]], [[1997]], the night of [[Inauguration Day|Bill Clinton's inauguration]] as [[President of the United States|President]].<ref>[http://www.mediacast.com/Calendar/97-01-20/Radio_Free_L.A./ Radio Free L.A. - Mon, Jan 20, 1997<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The show comprised segments and interviews featuring [[Michael Moore]], [[Emily Hodgson]], [[Leonard Peltier]], [[Chuck D]], [[Mumia Abu-Jamal]], [[UNITE]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Amy Ray]] of the [[Indigo Girls]], and [[Subcomandante Marcos]] of the Zapatistas.<ref name="rfla">[http://www.ratm.com/new2/radiofree.html Radio Free L.A.] at RATM.com]</ref> These were intercut with musical performances by Morello, de la Rocha, [[Flea (musician)|Flea]] and [[Stephen Perkins]] playing different versions of Rage songs, and also [[Beck]] and [[Cypress Hill]] playing their own songs. The band organized and played the show in response to the [[United States presidential election, 1996|re-election of Clinton]]:
{{cquote2|"That election had resulted in one of the lowest voter turnouts in the history of the country, as more and more Americans came to realize that their government was not in their hands, but in the hands of big business. Radio Free L.A. provided a musical and political gathering point for the majority of Americans—and young people especially—who rightly felt left out of the "democratic process."|[[Tom Morello]]|''Ratm.com''<ref name="rfla"/>}}
The two-hour show was syndicated by over 50 commercial U.S. radio stations<ref name="timeline">[http://www.ratm.com/new2/timeline/index.html Official RATM timeline] at [http://www.ratm.com ratm.com].</ref> and streamed live from the band's website. Transcripts of the interviews are freely available online.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/rage/rageQA.html Tom Morello interviewing Noam Chomsky for Radio Free L.A.] at [[Zmag]].org</ref><ref>[http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/fire.htm Transcript of interview with Subcommandante Marcos for Radio Free L.A.]</ref>
==="Sleep Now in the Fire" video shoot===
On [[January 26]], [[2000]], filming of the [[music video]] for "[[Sleep Now in the Fire]]", which was directed by [[Michael Moore]], caused the doors of the [[New York Stock Exchange]] to be closed and the band to be escorted from the site by security,<ref name="greenleft">{{cite web | date=March 15, 2000 | title=Rage against Wall Street | work=[[Green Left Weekly]] ''#397''<nowiki></nowiki> | url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/2000/397/24186 | accessdate=2007-10-11}}</ref> after band members attempted to gain entry into the Exchange<ref>{{cite web | last=Basham | first=David | date=[[January 28]], [[2000]] | title=Rage Against the Machine Shoots New Video With Michael Moore | work=[[MTV News]] | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1433553/20000128/rage_against_the_machine.jhtml | accessdate=2007-02-17}}</ref>. Trading on the Exchange floor, however, continued uninterrupted<ref>{{cite web | title="New York Stock Exchange Special Closings", 1885-date | work=[[NYSE Group]] | url=http://www.nyse.com/pdfs/closings.pdf | accessdate=2007-04-07}}</ref>.
Footage of enthusiastic Wall Street employees [[headbanging]] to Rage's music was used in the final video. "We decided to shoot this video in the belly of the beast", said Moore, who was threatened with arrest during the shooting of the video because Moore failed to get a permit.<ref name="greenleft"/>
===2000 Democratic National Convention===
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{{see|2000 DNC protest activity}}
[[Image:The Democratic National Convention Mumia Abu-Jamal Banner With Rage Against The Machine Fans.jpg|thumb|Protesters at the [[2000 Democratic National Convention]] alongside a Free [[Mumia Abu-Jamal|Mumia]] banner in the style of the cover art from ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]'' (1999).]]
RATM played a free concert at the [[2000 Democratic National Convention]] in protest of the [[two-party system]]. The band had been considering playing a protest concert there since April of that year.<ref name="dncrs">{{cite web | last=Asch | first=Andrew | date=[[August 15]], 2000 | title=Rage Wage Battle of Los Angeles at DNC | work=[[Rolling Stone]] | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rageagainstthemachine/articles/story/5923647/rage_wage_battle_of_los_angeles_at_dnc | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> Although they were at first required by the [[Los Angeles, California#Government|City of Los Angeles]] to perform in a small venue at a considerable distance, early in August a [[United States district court]] judge ruled that the City's request was too restrictive and the City subsequently allowed the protests and concert to be held at a site across from the DNC.<ref name="dncrs"/> The police response was to increase security measures, which included a 12 ft fence and patrolling by a minimum of 2,000 officers wearing riot gear, as well as additional horses, motorcycles, squad cars and police helicopters.<ref name="dnccnn1">{{cite web |date=August 14, 200 | title=Protest concert due tonight outside convention: Security tight in Los Angeles | work=[[CNN]] | url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/14/campaign.protest.01/index.html | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> A police spokesperson said they were "gravely concerned because of security reasons".<ref name="dnccnn1"/>
During the concert, de la Rocha said to the crowd, "brothers and sisters, our democracy has been hijacked,"<ref name="dncrs"/> and later also shouted "we have a right to oppose these motherfuckers!"<ref name="dncindy">{{cite web | last=Bleyer | first=Jennifer |date=August 15, 200 | title=LAPD unleashes horses-pepper spray-rubber bullets | work=Scoop Independent News | publisher=[[Indymedia]] | url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0008/S00077.htm | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> After the performance, a small group of attendees congregated at the point in the protest area closest to the DNC, facing the police officers, throwing rocks,<ref name="dncsalon">{{cite web | last=York | first=Anthony |date=August 15, 200 | title=Rage against the cops | work=Salon.com Politics | url=http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/08/14/rage/index.html | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> and possibly engaging in more violent activity, such as throwing glass, concrete and water bottles filled with "noxious agents,"<ref name="dncwsws">{{cite web | last=White | first=Jerry |date=August 17, 200 | title=Los Angeles police attack protesters at Democratic convention | work=World Socialist Web Site | url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/aug2000/la-a17.shtml | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> spraying [[ammonia]] on police and slingshotting rocks and steel balls.<ref name="dnccnn2">{{cite web |date=August 15, 200 | title=Convention opens to protests, rubber bullets | work=[[CNN]] | url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/15/cvn..protests.ap/index.html | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> The police soon after declared the gathering an [[unlawful assembly]],<ref name="dncindy"/> shut off the electrical supply, interrupting performing band [[Ozomatli]],<ref name="dncsalon"/> and informed the protestors that they had 15 minutes to disperse on pain of arrest.<ref name="dnccnn3">{{cite web |date=August 15, 200 | title=Police defend use of pepper spray, rubber bullets at Democratic Convention protest | work=[[CNN]] | url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/15/convention.protests.02/index.html | accessdate=2007-02-19}}</ref> Some of the protestors remained, however, including two young men who climbed the fence and waved [[Anarchist symbolism#Black flag|black flags]], who were subsequently shot in the face with pepper spray.<ref name="dnccnn2"/> Police then forcibly dispersed the crowd, using [[Riot control agent|tear gas]], [[pepper spray]] and [[rubber bullet]]s.<ref name="dnccnn2"/> At least six people were arrested in the incident.<ref name="dnccnn3"/>
The police faced severe and broad criticism for their reaction, with an [[American Civil Liberties Union]] spokesperson saying that it was "nothing less than an orchestrated police riot."<ref name="dncwsws"/> Several primary witnesses reported unnecessarily violent actions and police abuses, including firing on reporters<ref name="dncsalon"/> and people obeying police commands<ref name="dnccnn3"/>. Police responded that their response was "outstanding" and "clearly disciplined."<ref name="dnccnn3"/> De la Rocha said of the incident, "I don't care what fucking television stations said, [that] the violence was caused by the people at the concert; [[Police|those motherfuckers]] unloaded on this crowd. And I think it's ridiculous considering, you know, none of us had rubber bullets, none of us had [[M16 rifle|M16s]], none of us had [[Club (weapon)#Batons, truncheons, and nightsticks|billy clubs]], none of us had [[Riotsquad helmet|face shields]]."<ref>''Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium'' DVD, Grand Olympic Auditorium performance, part of de la Rocha's speech.</ref>
Footage of the protest and ensuing violence, along with an [[MTV News]] report on the incident, was included in the ''[[Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium#DVD release|Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium]]'' [[DVD]].
===Other activism===
The band are advocates for the release of former [[Black Panther Party|Black Panther]] and [[Death Row]] inmate [[Mumia Abu-Jamal]] for whom they wrote and recorded the track "Voice of the Voiceless" for their 1999 album ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]''. The band performed at a benefit concert with all proceeds donated to the International Concerned Family And Friends Of Mumia Abu-Jamal, and de la Rocha spoke before the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] in support of Abu-Jamal.<ref name="zackun">{{cite book | last = Mciver | first = Joel | title = Nu metal - the Next Generation of Rock & Punk | publisher = Omnibus Press | location = London | year = 2002 | isbn = 9780711992092 }}</ref> The band also raised funds and awareness for life-sentenced political activist [[Leonard Peltier]], and documented his case in the video for "[[Freedom (Rage Against the Machine song)|Freedom]]".
<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS IMAGE. IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED 3 TIMES AND CONSENSUS WAS TO KEEP IT! -->
[[Image:Lollapaloozaratm.jpg|thumb|right|RATM protesting against [[Parents Music Resource Center]] at [[Lollapalooza]] 1993.]]
At a 1993 [[Lollapalooza]] appearance in [[Philadelphia]], the band stood onstage [[naked]] for 15 minutes with [[duct tape]] on their mouths and the letters ''PMRC'' painted on their chests in protest against [[censorship]] by the [[Parents Music Resource Center]].<span title="Image of PMRC protest available at this site."><ref name="velvetland">{{cite web |url= http://www.velvetland.org/music/MUSES/Rage_Against_The_Machine/home.htm |title= Rage Against the Machine |publisher= Velvetland.org |accessdate= 2007-06-24 }} (Image of PMRC protest available at this site.)</ref></span> Refusing to play, they stood in silence with the sound emitted being only [[audio feedback]] from Morello and Commerford's guitars. The band later played a free show for disappointed fans.<ref name="moderndrummer">Micallef, Ken (March 1996), [http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/drummer.htm Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk], ''[[Modern Drummer]]''. Retrieved [[February 17]], [[2007]].</ref> Tom Morello was arrested for [[civil disobedience]] in October 1997 during a union protest by garment workers and their supporters against the use of [[sweatshop]] labor by [[Guess?]].<ref name="timeline"/> Billboards subsequently appeared in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] and [[New York]] featuring a photograph of the band with the caption "Rage Against Sweatshops: We Don't Wear Guess? – A Message from Rage Against the Machine and UNITE (Union of Needletrades Industrial and Textile Employees)."<ref name="timeline"/>
Some other controversial stands taken include that of the music video for the song "[[Bombtrack (song)|Bombtrack]]", in which RATM expresses support for the [[Peru]]vian [[Guerilla warfare|guerilla]] organization [[Shining Path]] and their incarcerated leader [[Abimael Guzmán]]. Over its career, the band played benefit concerts for organizations such as Rock for Choice, the [[Anti-Nazi League]], the [[United Farm Workers]], children's care organization Para Los Niños and [[Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees|UNITE]].<ref name="timeline">[http://www.ratm.com/new2/timeline/index.html Rage Against the Machine: A Time Line], time line of RATM's career, official website. Retrieved February 19, 2007.</ref> 1994 saw the band organizing Latinpalooza, a joint benefit concert for the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund, and Para Los Niños. The band also raised funds for [[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]], the National Commission for Democracy in Mexico, Women Alive, and played at the [[Tibetan Freedom Concert]] on more than one occasion.<ref name="timeline"/> Album liner notes contained promotional material for [[AK Press]], [[Amnesty International]], the Committee to Support the Revolution in Peru, the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic, [[Independent Media Center|Indymedia]], Mass Mic, [[Parents for Rock and Rap]], the Popular Resource Center, RE: GENERATION, [[Refuse and Resist]], Revolution Books, the ''[[Dave Marsh|Rock & Rap Confidential]]'', and [[Kathy Kelly#Voices in the Wilderness|Voices in the Wilderness]].
==Discography==
{{main|Rage Against the Machine discography}}
* 1992: ''[[Rage Against the Machine (album)|Rage Against the Machine]]''
* 1996: ''[[Evil Empire (album)|Evil Empire]]''
* 1999: ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]''
* 2000: ''[[Renegades (album)|Renegades]]''
==Awards==
===Grammy Awards===
* '''[[Best Metal Performance]] (1997) - "[[Tire Me]]" ([[Grammy Awards|Grammy Winner]])'''
* [[Best Hard Rock Performance]] (1997) - "[[Bulls on Parade]]" (Grammy Nominee)
* Best Hard Rock Performance (1998) - "[[People of the Sun]]" (Grammy Nominee)
* Best Metal Performance (1999) - "[[No Shelter]]" (Grammy Nominee)
* '''Best Hard Rock Performance (2001) - "[[Guerrilla Radio]]" (Grammy Winner)'''
* Best Hard Rock Performance (2002) - "[[Renegades of Funk#Rage Against the Machine cover|Renegades of Funk]]" (Grammy Nominee)
===MTV Music Awards===
* [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Tamara Hamai Video [Best Rock Video]] (1996) - "Bulls on Parade" (Nominee) (lost to [[Metallica]]'s "[[Until it Sleeps]]")
* [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video|Best Rock Video]] (1997) - "People of the Sun" (Nominee) (lost to [[Aerosmith]]'s "[[Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)]]")
* [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video|Best Rock Video]] (2000) - "[[Sleep Now in the Fire]]" (Nominee) (lost To [[Limp Bizkit]]'s "[[Break Stuff]]")
At the 2000 MTV VMAs, bass player [[Tim Commerford]] climbed to the top of the stage set and nearly brought the left stage down, it was in protest of the fact that Limp Bizkit's [[Break Stuff]] won Best Rock Video instead of Rage Against the Machine's "[[Sleep Now in the Fire]]". Commerford was later arrested and spent a night in jail with his bodyguard. <ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Zahlaway |title=Rage Bassist Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor After Disrupting MTV Awards |url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/1777.html |publisher=Live Daily |date=[[2000-09-08]] |accessdate=2007-12-26 }}</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==References==
*Devenish, Colin (2001), ''Rage Against the Machine'': [[St. Martin's Press|St. Martin's Griffin]] ISBN 0-312-27316-6
==External links==
{{commonscat|Rage Against The Machine}}
* [http://www.ratm.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.axisofjustice.org/ Axis of Justice] Tom Morello and [[Serj Tankian]]'s Activist Website "[[Axis Of Justice]]"
* [http://www.vietnow.org/ Vietnow.org] Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum
* {{allmusicguide|id=11:kpfpxqw5ldje~T1}}
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