Rage Against The Machine Frontman In ‘Disbelief’ As Tour Dates Axed

Rage Against The Machine have regrettably cancelled their 2023 North American tour following frontman Zack de la Rocha's Achilles tendon injury. He hurt himself during a July 11 show in Chicago during an animalistic performance of Bullet In The Head. 

After walking off stage with the help of crew members, de la Rocha returned and played the rest of the show while seated on a stage monitor. "I don’t know what happened to my leg right now," he told the audience. "But you know what? We’re gonna keep this fuckin’ shit goin’. If I have to crawl across this stage, we’re gonna play for y’all tonight. We came too fuckin’ far."

The band, known for iconic hits such as Killing In The Name, Wake Up, and Bulls On Parade, made the cancellation announcement via social media. "It's been almost three months since Chicago, and I still look down at my leg in disbelief. Two years of waiting through the pandemic, hoping we would have an opening to be a band again and continue the work we started 30 some odd years ago," de la Rocha's statement begins.

"I have a severe tear in my left Achilles tendon and only 8% of my tendon was left intact. And even that portion was severely compromised. It's not simply a question of being able to perform again, but extends to basic functionality going forward. That's why I've made the painful and difficult decision to cancel the remaining shows on our 2023 North American leg."

De la Rocha ended the statement by sending his love and respect to his brothers, "Tim, Brad, and Tom; to El P, Killer Mike, Trackstar and the whole RTJ crew" as well as the group's production team, "techs, cooks, drivers, assistants, security squad, to anyone and everyone who made the shows thus far possible" and hopes to see them all soon. 

The news doesn't fare well for Australian fans who have patiently awaited a tour announcement Down Under. Rage Against The Machine are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, and each of their albums has found success in Australia. Upon their long-awaited return to the stage this year, the band encouraged fans to "abort the Supreme Court" in support of bodily autonomy after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.