Tom Morello calls on metalheads to “get their shit together” to become “agents of history”
Tom Morello has called on “metalheads” to “get their shit together” and save the planet.
Speaking at a press conference [via Blabbermouth] in France over the weekend the Rage Against The Machine guitarist urged people to seize their potential as “agents of history.”
He said: “There’s really one message that is a thread through all of my music, and that is: the world is not going to change itself. That is up to you. And by ‘you,’ I literally mean you.
“Sometimes it seems like this sort of monolithic problem that we’ll never be able to get past. But you are not witnesses to history; you are agents of history. History is not something that happened; it’s something you make.
“Once you have that realisation that you do have your hands on the wheel of history and of this planet, and if you wanna make it a more peaceful, a more just, a more equitable, a more anti-racist, a more environmentally sound place, there’s no one to blame if it doesn’t happen but you for not standing up.”
Morello went on to warn that the current state of the world is under threat.
“In part, literally the fate of the planet is at stake over the course of the next few decades,” he said. “So, it’s time for metalheads to get their shit together.”
“It’s not easy, but wherever you are and whatever your job is, whatever your life is -whether it’s standing up to illegitimate authority in your home, your place of work, your school, your country, or whatever – history is not something that happens. It’s something that we make. So I would encourage you to not despair, [but] to act.”
Morello has been outspoken in recent months particularly over the Israel-Hamas conflict previously criticising “horrific war crimes in Gaza”.
He also spoke against Barclays Bank sponsoring a host of festivals including Download Festival which he campaigned heavily to have removed and the bank eventually agreed to.
Morello wrote at the time: “A bank funding war crimes has no place at music festivals. The fact that Download has listened to its musicians and cut ties with Barclays Bank is a testament to the power of artists taking collective action for human rights. I’ve been pushing hard for this behind the scenes for some time and I salute all the artists who have taken a stand to help make this historic withdrawal happen.”
Over the weekend, Jane’s Addiction also brought Morello out to perform ‘Mountain Song’ and ‘Chip Away’ in Germany.
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Damian Jones
NME
