Tom Morello became an unwitting participant in Rage Against the Machine’s bodyguard job on Saturday in Toronto. According to TMZ and other outlets, Morello was off to the side of the stage when a fan tried to jump up and rush onto the stage. While this doesn’t appear to be a repeat of Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle’s recent experiences, the safety was not playing.
The problem comes when Morello gets caught in the force of the tackle guard and falls off the stage. Right in the middle of the last song of the night, “Killing in the Name,” which means the red-shirted fan has been waiting this long to take the stage and ruin his night. I could have stayed in the parking lot and done it for free.
A guy rushed onto the stage at the Rage Against the Machine concert in Toronto tonight and security tackled him, knocking Tom Morello off the stage. My friend @cambriton caught some of it on vid. Scary stuff! It could have hurt him a lot! Tom came back on stage and ripped off the roof🤘 pic.twitter.com/ReNN3N83La
— Andrew Hunt (@AndrewHunt311) July 24, 2022
Morello was fine and returned to the stage after the inadvertent tackle. TMZ notes that he even gave fans a small wave to allay fears that he could be injured from the fall.
A small round of applause should however be given to the security guard. The whole incident is lightning fast and security is on the fan almost instantly. Morello was just in a bad place when he went down, which is unfortunate.
But as the outlet points out, it’s far from the worst thing that can happen on Rage’s tour. Not only was this reunion marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the empty few years we endured, but vocalist Zack de la Rocha injured his leg during a previous show and was forced to s sit for performances since.
someone spoke @tmorello in Toronto!!
@6ixbuzztv pic.twitter.com/GpIYCwXezM—Oscar Uriel (@OscUri_dad97) July 24, 2022
Although it’s the build-up to that eventual Rage Against the Machine cruise when the band is old enough to need to sit down, it’s still unfortunate. The the band’s message is still solidly intact and they make no effort to hide it. The Toronto crowd was struck by facts about Indigenous peoples in Canada, their treatment over the years and how it differs for those who are not part of these groups.
The band’s reunion tour kicked off in Chicago earlier in July, eventually reaching Toronto on Saturday and moving to Pittsburgh on Friday. The band also has two upcoming gigs in Washington, DC for early August, which are likely to get heated given the current political climate in the city.
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