Rage Against The Machine to Rock the Bells
Rage Against the Machine's reunion at this year's Coachella festival won't be a one-off after all. The rockers have made plans to join Wu-Tang Clan for three dates on this summer's Rock the Bells hip-hop fest.
Rock the Bells is set to take place this July in New York City, and two California dates are set for August. Details are listed below.
"It's definitely our fans' dream billing," Chang Weisberg of Rock the Bells organizer Guerilla Union said in a statement. "It's a tremendous honor to have Rage Against The Machine and Wu-Tang Clan perform together. I can't wait to announce the rest of the line-up for Rock the Bells. It's incredibly important to put some shine on quality hip-hop. The opportunity to galvanize the social and political consciousness of these groups is undeniable."
The festival's complete lineup is scheduled to be announced March 26; tickets go on sale March 31. Updates can be found at Guerilla Union's website or the Rock the Bells site.
Last month, Rage Against the Machine signed on to headline the closing night of Coachella in Indio, CA, April 29. The reunion helped the festival to sell out 80 days in advance, according to the Los Angeles Times. Sources told the paper that the quick sellout and the ticket scalping that followed were among the factors in the band's decision to add more shows, but the four gigs that have been announced are expected to be the only shows for RATM in 2007.
That's despite the fact that Rage members Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) are free from their post-RATM project, Audioslave, since frontman Chris Cornell left the band earlier this month "due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences."
The Audioslave breakup rumors started flying when Coachella announced that Morello, Commerford and Wilk would reunite with Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha for the first time since 2000.
In addition to regrouping with Rage Against the Machine, Morello is working on a solo project dubbed The Nightwatchman. He'll release his debut album, "One Man Revolution," on Epic Records April 24.
Rage Against the Machine at Coachella
April 2007
29 - Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field
Rock The Bells
July 2007
28 - New York, NY - Randall's Island
August 2007
11 - San Bernardino, CA - NOS Events Center
18 - San Francisco, CA - (venue to be announced)
Festival Guide: Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL [June 2008]
Rock the Bells tour adds names, confirms venues [June 2008]
Rock the Bells taps A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, more [April 2008]
LiveDaily News Break, April 8: Lollapalooza, Radiohead, Melissa Etheridge and more [April 2008]
Kanye, Radiohead, RATM, Nine Inch Nails top Lollapalooza lineup [April 2008]
Rage, Daft Punk, QOTSA highlight Vegoose lineup [July 2007]
Madonna's "Confessions on a Dance Floor" tour
The Duke Spirit on stage and in the studio
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks
Metallica at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, CA
R.E.M. at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA
Herbie Hancock at the Sonoma Jazz Festival
Brad Paisley, Jack Ingram and Kellie Pickler
Dengue Fever at The Independent, San Francisco, CA

