From Rolling Stone:
OCTOBER 12, 2011 6:00 PM ET
Tom Morello attends the "Real Steel" Los Angeles Premiere at Gibson Amphitheatre.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has announced plans to perform at the Occupy Wall Street protest at noon tomorrow in Manhattan. Morello, who has previously performed at the Occupy Los Angeles rally, will play a solo set as the Nightwatchman.
"The Nightwatchman will Occupy Wall Street tomorrow at noon, adding one more voice to the growing chorus of millions demanding economic justice at home and around the globe," Morello tells Rolling Stone. "And I'll be playing some songs. Likely in the rain."
Morello will be the third major act to perform at the protest. Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum and rapper Talib Kweli have recently played impromptu sets at the protest site.
Earlier this week, Kanye West visited the scene, but did not perform.
Morello will be the third major act to perform at the protest. Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum and rapper Talib Kweli have recently played impromptu sets at the protest site.
Earlier this week, Kanye West visited the scene, but did not perform.
OCTOBER 13, 2011 4:20 PM ET
Tom Morello performs at the Occupy Wall Street protest in Zuccotti Park.
Griffin Lotz for RollingStone.com
Tom
Morello paused for a moment as he tuned his guitar in front of the Occupy Wall Street masses this morning at NYC's Liberty Plaza. "This is crazy out here," he said, smiling. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist went on to perform a four-song set for hundreds of onlookers, including a poignant, protester-fueled rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."
Morello paused for a moment as he tuned his guitar in front of the Occupy Wall Street masses this morning at NYC's Liberty Plaza. "This is crazy out here," he said, smiling. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist went on to perform a four-song set for hundreds of onlookers, including a poignant, protester-fueled rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."
Before the performance, however, Morello addressed the crowd – whom he called "friends." He introduced himself as the Nightwatchman, his folk alter-ego, and spoke directly to the attentive and excited members of the Occupy Wall Street movement: "First, they ignored you – then you got pepper-sprayed." But he didn't stop there. Morello led the crowd in a charged chant: "I know in my heart, all hell can't stop us now." And then, repeatedly, "All hell can't stop us now!"
Then the music started. Morello began with a rendition of "The Fabled City," the title track from his second Nightwatchman album. While encouraging the protesters to clap their hands, Morello crooned, "I've seen the fabled city, its streets are paved with gold. But an iron fence runs 'round it and its iron gate is closed." Then Carl Restive, guitarist of the Nightwatchman's band The Freedom Fighters Orchestra, joined Morello for "Save The Hammer For The Man." The two sang together among the protesters, working off their energy. On "This Land Is Your Land," Morello told the crowd that despite the circumstances, they were "gonna have a good mother fuckin' time," and as he sang, he jumped – and so did everybody else. The entire mass of protesters bounced up and down, proclaiming, "This land was made for you and me."
To cap everything off, Morello taught his "World Wide Rebel Songs" to the crowd and together, among fists and American Flags raised by the hands of protestors, they sang: "World wide rebel songs, sing out loud all night long, hang on man it won't be long, world wide rebel songs." He then left the stage with one message to Occupy Wall Street: "Take it easy, but take it."
In a cab after his performance, a sweaty Morello – sporting a his own version of a Nike shirt that read "Class War, Just Do It" with a swoosh – told Rolling Stone, "The Nightwatchman was born for days like this. This is something people feel a part of. I don’t know why this is different. Cause certainly that discontent is always there, but this expresses it in a way that feels very inclusive in the 99 percent slogan is a great one and an accurate one. It’s the right one."
No comments:
Post a Comment