Australia, clear the lane and make way for the Prophets of Rage. Yes! Yes! Yesssss! I have been waiting for what feels like forever to see this band live. If you don’t know who I am talking about then let me quickly fill you in. Prophets of Rage are Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D and DJ Lord of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill. You excited now? Because I know I am.

Sydney’s Bare Bones are just the kind of support that suit tonight’s gig, they open with all the fury and rage a gig like this commands and continue with a relentless musical attack. This is the third time this band have played this stage in 6 months so what does that tell you about how good they are, do yourself a favour go out and catch these guys and pick up a copy of their album Bad Habbits.

Dead Letter Circus are a good band, very well crafted in sound and can be so electrifying to watch. Tonight they performed well. The band have been in hibernation working on a brand-new album due out this year, they lay down for the first time a track from it. The track is heavy and makes me look forward to hearing more from the band.

So, it’s not stage time just yet but the lights go out and DJ Lord comes out requesting we do one thing and that is pay attention. He opens with Jimi Hendrix American National Anthem and follows that up with a mix of classic metal this is just a taste to wet our appetites for the main course.

As an air raid siren sounds we clear the way as the Prophets of Rage hit the stage and let’s be clear, they came to do one thing and that is make Australia Rage again, now Testify !!!

The energy in the room is electric, we all definitely came to have a good time tonight and with our fist raised high in the air we would rock the fuck out as Tom Morello killed it on everything he played, Chuck D forever the ultimate lyricists sounding sharp as ever was on the mic and the homie B-Real would spark that shit up.

The collective lineage of this supergroup is nearly impossible to ignore, together as a group they played for us a range of tracks from the back catalogues. But Prophets aren’t merely some supergroup cover band, no Prophets of Rage are a collective of revolutionary musicians who have joined together to combat social injustice as evident on tracks like Hail to The Chief and not just in their own backyard either Living on The One Ten is a message about homelessness which is a real-world issue.

The night wouldn’t all be about the power of protest, as Tom, Brad and Tim leave the stage Dj Lord stays
Chuck D and B-Real get up right on the barrier in front of the crowd and take us on a journey of hip-hop mastery that would see us all Jump Around. When it was done those guys took a break and out comes Tim, Brad and Tom who thanks for us for being such a great audience not just tonight but over the years he has been here, be it as part of  Rage, The Nightwatchman touring with The Boss or in Audioslave. And it is with the last band in mind I witness one of the most moving tribute’s to the late Chris Cornell, a lone spotlight would shine on an empty microphone and we the audience would sing the words to Like A Stone in honour of his memory, it was one of the most powerful moments I have ever seen at a concert.

Tonight was the first time many of us had seen this band live, they say it won’t be the last as they are already working on new music and this is dangerous times calling for a dangerous band and The Prophets of Rage are that band to wake you the fuck up and shake you loose from that coma you’re in. They finish of the set with perhaps the most dangerous song of all time Killing in The Name Of.

It has been said, and I quote, that “Prophets of Rage are beyond being just a band, they are a counteroffensive —they are PROPHETS OF RAGE. An elite task force of revolutionary musicians here to wake us up, encourage us to question everything, find our voice and fight for our rights.”

The feeling this band left inside me tonight was a feeling of being ignited from what can only be described as a live set that felt like you were being pummelled from the musical muscle of their instruments in accompaniment with lyrical assassinations carried out by the two front men. These guys are the best of the best and tonight they served us up one hell of a live show, full of fury, rhythm and rhyme, delivered with such passion and precision it was just amazing to be a part of.

Review – Chad

Cover Photo – Kim Rudner 

 

 

Catch them next at

Download Festival  Melbourne March 24th 

The Tivoli, Brisbane March 26th