Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk dashed the hopes of all of the fans who were optimistic the band would make its long waited return to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2024.
“I know a lot o people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all the canceled RATM shows,” he wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, Jan. 3. “I don’t want to string people 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…”
He captioned the post: “Bottom of my heart … Thank you to every person who has ever supported us.”
Shirley Manson of rock band Garbage weighed in on Instagram, replying, “Oh Brad. I am crushed to hear this. I hope you are all ok. Sending you much love and gratitude for the incredible music. I shall look forward to whatever you chose to do next with your considerable talents. Sx.”
ALT/FM 98.7 show host Ted Stryker commented: “Brad, thank you for the awesome music and best live concerts I’ve ever been to!”
After postponing a couple of times due to the pandemic and then touring conflicts, the band did hit the road for a short stint in 2022, but vocalist Zack de la Rocha suffered a leg injury during a stop in Chicago that ended up sidelining the remainder of the tour.
The Los Angeles based rock band, consisting of de la Rocha, Wilk, guitarist Tom Morello and bassist Tim Commerford, formed in 1991 and were just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. Only Morello showed up to the ceremony to mark the occasion.
After releasing successful albums including its self-titled album in 1992, 1996’s “Evil Empire,” 1999’s “The Battle of Los Angeles” and its final studio album, “Renegades,” in 2000, the group disbanded. The band reunited in 2007 and headlined the final day of Coachella. They took extended breaks in the years that followed and all of the members sans de la Rocha, formed Prophets of Rage alongside Public Enemy’s Chuck D and B-Real of Cypress Hill in 2016. Three years later, they put that project to bed.
Rage Against the Machine announced it would be back in 2020 and would perform for the first time in nine years at Coachella. However, the pandemic shut that down. In 2022, the band played its first concert together in 11 years in Wisconsin and embarked on a US tour. After de la Rocha’s injury, additional tour dates were canceled.
