Photo Credit: Adam Jones / CC by 2.0
Legendary rock band Rage Against the Machine is joining the growing list of artists who are turning a new leaf in 2024. The band says it will no longer tour or play live.
Following announcements by Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, and Iggy Azalea about their future in music, it appears Rage Against the Machine is calling it quits, too. Drummer Brad Wilk took to the band’s official Instagram to address the reunion tour that was pushed back twice—once due to the pandemic and a second time due to injury.
“I know a lot of people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all the canceled RATM shows,” the post begins. “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. I’m sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this to happen. I really wish it was.”
Rage Against the Machine has parted ways twice in the past, once in 2000 and again in 2011. The band reunited in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus, but that tour was interrupted after frontman Zack de la Rocha tore his Achilles tendon on the second stop of the tour in Chicago. The first leg of the tour featured Zack sitting on a road case, while the rest of the tour dates were canceled.
The 2000 break-up statement from de la Rocha said the band’s “declision-making process completely failed” and “no longer meets the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band.” While that statement seemed pretty definitive at the time, the band reunited in 2007 to play Coachella and tour until 2011—when RATM called it quits again.
Rage Against the Machine was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, but Tom Morello was the only band member present for the induction. During that ceremony, Morello noted the band has differing opinions “on a lot of things,” including the fact that an anti-establishment band would be inducted into the Hall of Fame and receive the honor.
