Those hoping to see Rage Against the Machine live in concert were met with some heavy news on Wednesday: the band will no longer play live shows or tour.
RATM drummer Brad Wilk shared the news on social media, noting that “I know a lot of people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all the canceled RATM shows” and “I don’t want to string people or myself along any further.”
“So while there has been some communication that this may be happening in the future… I want to let you know that RATM (Tim, Zack, Tom and I) will not be touring or playing live again,” Wilk said. “I’m sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this to happen. I really wish it was…”
While Wilk was the bearer of bad news, the band — nor its other members — has not publicly commented on the update, nor offered any other insight.
This would mark the band’s third disbandment.
Last year, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band reflected on their career and how they continued to use music to bring justice around the world, recalling the shut down of the New York Stock Exchange, how they raised their voices to free Mumai Abu Jamal, and the time they sued the U.S. State Department for using their music to torture men in Guantanamo Bay.
They also touched upon their hit “Killing in the Name” — and how it topped the charts after the No. 1 spot remained accounted for over four years with “The X Factor” stars.
“…a band who wrote rebel songs in an abandoned, industrial warehouse in the valley that would later dethrone Simon Cowell ’s X Factor pop monopoly to occupy the number 1 spot on the UK charts and have the most downloaded song in U.K. history,” RATM said.
While RATM is best-known for their anti-authoritarian views, they’re also praised for lyricism and blending of genres, garnering attention with tracks like “Bulls On Parade,” “Guerrilla Radio,” “Testify,” and “Down Radio.”
