Rage Against The Machine 'Wake Up' T

United Kingdom | 13 July 2008

The incendiary performance marked the band's first UK appearance since they reformed (for Coachella in April 2007) and their first visit to our shores in eight years.

They delivered a nostalgic, but utterly crowd-pleasing set, of classics which could never have failed to get the passionate Scottish fans moshing like their lives depended on it.

From the moment the band exploded onto the stage in customary airborne fashion (blasting off with 'Testify'), the relentless pace never waned until the dying strains of finale 'Killing In The Name Of'.

In between, frontman Zack De La Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello and bassist Tim Commerfood spent more time in the air than on the stage as they blitzed through the likes of 'Bulls On Parade', 'Bombtrack', 'Bullet In The Head' and 'Renegades of Funk' in front of a giant Zapatista flag. During 'Wake Up' De La Rocha set the record straight after they were criticised in the US media following their Coachella appearance last year: "They said we had said George Bush should be assassinated. We did not say that. We said he should be tried for being a war criminal."

He warned the audience:

"[What they are afraid of] is you. If in protest to their war you burn down the American embassy…it's up to us, generation after generation to beat the system which perpetuates war. Wake up."

After a short break, Rage Against The Machine encored with 'Freedom' and 'Killing in the Name'. The crescendo of fans shouting "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" across the Balado night will surely go down as a festival moment of 2008. The band were clearly moved by the spectacle and warmly thanked the crowd for their participation in what had been one of T's most unforgettable headline sets.

Rage Against The Machine played:

'Testify'
'Bulls on Parade'
'People of the Sun'
'Bombtrack'
'Vietnow'
'Know Your Enemy'
'Bullet in the Head'
'Renegades Of Funk'
'Guerrilla Radio'
'Calm Like A Bomb'
'Sleep Now In the Fire'
'Wake Up'
'Freedom'
'Killing In The Name'

Over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage, the Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson was appealing to the crowd to help them compete against the noise coming from the main stage. Wilson also tried to match De La Rocha's energy, leaping into the crowd during opener 'Everthing Is Average Nowadays', volley-kicking his tambouine and scaling the lighting rig during 'I Predict A Riot'.

The frenetic set also featured hits 'Every Day I Love You Less And Less', 'Ruby', 'Na Na Na Na Na', 'Modern Way' and customary extended set-closer 'Oh My God'. A smattering of new material was also aired from the band's forthcoming Mark Ronson co-produced third album.

Across site, a rammed King Tut's Wah-Way tent was enraptured by Ian Brown from the moment he appeared on-stage, accompanied by a bagpipe player. Shadow-boxing and bouncing around the stage, an upbeat Brown blessed fans with a greatest hits set from his solo years (including 'Time is My Everything', 'Lovebug', 'Keep What Ya Got', 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' and 'Golden Gaze' before dropping a Bombtrack of his own in the form of Stone Roses' classic 'Waterfall'. He then closed with 'F.E.A.R.'.

Earlier on in the second day of the festival, The Fratellis had been greeted like royalty as they took the main stage (prior to Rage Against The Machine) and had the ecstatic crowd singing along for Scotland under the glorious forecast-defying sunset.

Fellow local superstar Paolo Nutini made a surprise appearance on Satrurday's tiny T Break Stage  (where he first appeared as an unsigned hopeful two years ago). Billed as 'Snake Derrick and The Vipers', the Paisley boy soon drew huge crowds as word spread on his return to T.

Jack White (who claims Scottish ancestry) finally made it to Balado (five years after a car accident forced the cancellation of the White Stripes at the event). This time, he was with The Raconteurs, playing songs from both of the four-piece's albums, 2006's debut 'Broken Boy Soldiers' and this year's 'Consolers Of The Lonely'. 

Reverend and the Makers were making a splash of their own at King Tut's Wah-Wah Tent. After a raucous performance which saw a mohican-sporting John McClure calling for Scotland to declare independence and lambasting Jay-Z for using the word 'bitch' in his lyrics, the frontman caused sheer pandemonium by attempting a spontaneous solo acoustic gig outside the tent. He managed two songs before being mobbed to such an extent that security ushered him backstage for everyone's safety.

The Kooks received a heroes' welcome when they arrived on the main stage, minus their drummer Paul Garred, who had sustained an arm injury. Singer Luke Pritchard introduced stand-in drummer "Nick" to the audience before playing a set including 'You Don't Love Me', and 'Ooh La'. Pritchard played solo acoustic versions of 'Seaside' and 'See The Sun' solo before the full band closed with  'Always Where I Need to Be', which ended with Pritchard diving into the crowd.

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