Tom Morello isn’t your typical rock star. He can beat you with his hands, and his head.
As an axeman, Morello is one of the best to do it. Need a refresher? The American six-string star came in at No. 18 on Rolling Stone’s Best Guitarists of All Time list, reward for his six-year stint with Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, his work up front with the “supergroup” Prophets of Rage, and, of course, as a founding member of Rage Against the Machine.
The politically-charged RATM sold millions during their ’90s heyday and in 2023, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Morello was the only member of the band to attend the Rock Hall ceremony; it’s safe to say that machine is currently out of order.
Stepping out alone, he’s fine with that. When the rocker performs at Bluesfest next month, and for a string of sideshows, he’ll be doing so as a solo artist.
“Right now, I’ve never had a better time and a more fulfilled musical outlet than what I’ve been doing with my solo shows, my solo albums and my solo tours”, he tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “I’m 21 albums in, 30-some years in, and carrying the torch for all of it.”
Music aside, Morello is pissed off. Like many of his comrades in music, the artist despairs at the bizarre, daily antics from the Trump administration. Trade wars, cosying-up with the enemy, picking fights with allies. Every day, another pie thrown from the MAGA circus.
“You can only imagine what it’s like here with the impending shadow of American fascism,” he remarks. “We’re staring down the barrel of it. The almost ethnic cleansing of discourse is a very significant warning sign, where anybody who wants to apply for a grant, or if you used words like ‘inclusion’ or ‘gender’, or ‘African-American’, you’re going to be red flagged. It’s pretty serious and significant.”
It’s one thing to point it out, he remarks, and an altogether different challenge to combat it. “Now that we’re at Trump version two, the better question is not so much just lament and wring our hands on a daily basis, but how do we confront it? And at least in our country, the answer is not the Democratic Party. Both the mainstream parties have so dicked around the American working class that it provided a fertile field for this little dictator.”
Morello can and does exercise the First Amendment of his country’s Constitution, and he’s been known to take down far-right loudmouths with a savagery you won’t see in UFC. In one memorable social media exchange on Instagram back in 2020, Morello expertly handled a troll who wrote, “another successful musician instantly becomes a political expert.” His response has now entered meme lore: “One does not have to be an honours grad in political science from Harvard University to recognise the unethical and inhumane nature of this administration but well,” Morello replied, “I happen to be an honours grad in political science from Harvard University, so I can confirm that for you.”
It’s a burn that still generates heat.
Morello’s political activism is woven into his life’s journey. He can be spotted at the front line of pickets and strikes, most recently in solidarity with United Mine Workers of America in Brookwood, the United Farm Workers of America in Sacramento, and the Star Garden Strippers Union in North Hollywood. He received the 2023 Music Will Humanitarian of the Year recipient, and has helped to sponsor various music education programs across the country for schools in need. For his advocacy work, Morello is the ACLU’s first musician to be named ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Campaign for Smart Justice.
“The privileged position that I have is the same one that you have; I’m a human being with a voice and an idea in my head, and ideas in my heart,” he remarks. “The reason why they tell you to shut up is not because they’re offended that you’re a musician who’s speaking, it’s that they disagree with what you’re saying. If you were to parrot some right-wing propaganda, they’d be more than happy for you to sing it and talk about it between every song. You do not relinquish your free speech and your First Amendment rights when you pick up a guitar. That is not a trade-off. That will never be a trade-off. And so they will continue to be outraged and pissed-off. They can’t stand it — that part of them really, really fucking loves the jams, but they can’t stand the ideas that ride on them. And I’m okay with that.”
Is it time to reunite the Prophets of Rage? Maybe, but not yet.
“I had a great time with those guys. They’re some of my favorite musicians of all time. I played with Chuck the other day. He joined me on stage at the Roxy in LA. I have nothing but love and respect for those guys. I would be happy to play with them at sometime in the future, but right now, I’m doing this.”
Morello, as the Nightwatchman, has a new album in the works. While it percolates, attention turns to his shows in Australia next month, which include dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Byron Bay Bluesfest.
“The goal each and every time you step on a stage, is to play like everybody’s soul in the room is at stake, and I’ve always felt that very, very close to the surface at every show that I’ve played in Australia”, he remarks. “I can’t wait to come back with this iteration. It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had on tour and to be able to share like this experience with Australian fans is gonna be pretty awesome.”
Tom Morello’s 2025 Australia Tour Dates:
April 13th — Forum, Melbourne
April 16th — Enmore Theatre
April 17-18 — Byron Bay Bluesfest
