In 2000, Rage Against The Machine could not have been any hotter. They were, perhaps, the biggest hard-rock band on the planet. The distinction was an odd situation for the group to find themselves in, as they were steeped in such counter-culture, yet they became the culture. Eventually this would come to a head, and the rap-metal group would disband by the end of the year. But they did not go gently into the good night.
Protesting what they felt was a dysfunctional two-party system, Rage decided to play a concert right outside the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. After having permits approved and then denied, as well as a bunch of other forms of red tape, the “Guerrilla Radio” rockers eventually were allowed to play in the protest zone outside the DNC.
However, the security and police forces were escalated to an alarming level with the news of the group playing, and tensions were at a high. Despite this, Rage carried on with their show with a rousing and thunderous performance to thousands outside the arena, where then-president Bill Clinton was speaking.
Eventually, the animosity between the officers and the crowd grew too high and bottles and rocks were thrown, pepper spray and rubber bullets were fired, and a small riot ensued. The police were accused of using force on reporters, lawyers, and citizens obeying their own commands.
The aftermath of the concert left a huge blemish on the public perception of how the city of Los Angeles policed their citizens, a stigma that has existed for several decades. Unfortunately, Rage Against The Machine didn’t last too much longer to keep the fight going. They would break up two months later, and reconvene starting in 2007 to play certain festival dates and tour, but never record again.
Still, their hijacking of the DNC would probably be their last enduring statement to the world as a band. Well, except for when their bassist Tim Commerford climbed that statue at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, but that’s a story for another time.
