Despite their success, Rage Against the Machine’s history was not without controversy. The band did not officially break up, but instead, they went on a long hiatus. They reunited for several shows in 2007 and continued to play sporadically over the years.
The hiatus was a necessary break for the band members to pursue individual projects and explore new musical directions, but the band never formally disbanded.
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The Hiatus: A Necessary Break
After years of touring and recording, Rage Against the Machine announced their hiatus in 2000. The members of the band cited the need for a break to pursue individual projects and explore new musical directions.
This announcement came as a shock to fans, who had come to love the band’s music and message. However, the members of the band were clear that the hiatus was not a breakup and that they planned to reunite at some point in the future.
Rage Against The Machine Reunions
Rage Against the Machine first reunited in 2007, after a seven-year hiatus, to play a series of shows including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The band continued to play shows intermittently over the next few years, including a headlining performance at Lollapalooza in 2008.
The band’s reunion shows were highly anticipated by fans who were eager to see the band play their iconic songs live once again. Rage Against the Machine’s music has always been closely tied to political activism, and the band’s reunion shows were no exception. Many of their performances featured political speeches and calls to action
Canceled 2023 Tour
The band’s most recent reunion was planned to be a North American tour in 2023. The tour was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The band’s leader, Zach de la Rocha, announced the cancellation of the tour in an online post in 2022, much to the disappointment of fans.
De la Rocha did not give a specific reason for the cancellation, but he did state that the band’s commitment to social justice was still as strong as ever. He also expressed hope that the band would be able to perform live again in the future.
Rage Against The Machine Featured Image by: Penner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
