Rage Against The Machine
Live @ Stadio Braglia, Modena 14.06.08

Review of the Rage Against the Machine concert, Braglia Stadium, 14/06/08, Modena. The fateful Saturday that no self-respecting RATM fan would have missed was unusually cold. Days and days of heavy rain had contributed to an almost winter-like climate; fortunately, from the afternoon until the evening, the sun appeared unpredictably, drying and warming things up a bit, so... Everyone in the march against the eviction of Libera! Among others, Punkreas played (lovably goofy, but always energetic!).

Small preface: I was shocked...

After 8 years away from the scene, I thought the tickets would have flown away as quickly as Morello's fingers on the keyboard, yet, in front of the stadium, flocks of scalpers roamed (including a friend of mine who acts all communist, but then...) and even the ticket offices were selling tickets without presale!!! (€32). Oh well... We enter around 9 PM, gladly avoiding the (side) bands (since almost all of us are from Modena!!!). The American quartet is not very punctual... But after a good half hour delay... The lights go out... A thrill of emotion roars through the stadium... Four Guantanamo prisoners appear; orange jumpsuits and black bags covering their heads. The crowd is literally in delirium. Great entrance effect! (Sadly, the exit will be different, alas!). Stage crew hand the instruments to the musicians, who remain in costume (only for the first piece); it's a good thing it's a cool evening!!!

Timmy emits the first notes: the first track from the first album: Bombtrack. And the battle begins... A violent mosh pit sets the pace for the songs, which follow each other at an unrelenting rhythm... We fight like gladiators, bare-chested, with them providing the soundtrack...

My worn-out "Risiko!" backpack shields my back (at the expense of the 2 bananas inside...), nothing for the chest... Some bruises will remind me of the concert for a few more days. The pieces are performed with great precision, Morello puts on a show with his fingers on the keyboard and plays with the 10,000 effects of the guitar, jumping around as if he had a pair of scorpions in his shoes... Very much in the spotlight, he pleasantly varies, in my opinion, many solos. Zack runs back and forth across the stage (he looks like a woman in front of stores during sales), his voice is powerful, strong, and clear, like the dark red stains under his arms... He doesn't even spare a mandatory political speech about the USA, the wars, etc... Time doesn't seem to have changed the band's live quality. WELL DONE!

Perhaps the bassist and drummer are slightly "subdued"; a bit more static, as far as I could see, between a hit to the ribs and a stomp on the feet (since I have safety shoes with steel toes, what do I care!), slightly more "cold," compared to the Dark One and Roccia.

Even though, to be honest, the concert volume seemed quite lower than usual; a suspicion based on 2 facts: 1, I was almost in front and left without my ears ringing (never happened at the end of a concert!). 2, outside, some friends of mine, who wanted to listen for free, said they couldn't hear much more than an indistinct buzz. The setlist is nice, probably packed with many of RATM's best tracks (including Know Your Enemy, Bullet in The Head, Renegades Of Funk, Wake Up, and the indispensable, albeit perhaps a bit overplayed, Killing in the Name). Great concert, really. But... BUT... short. Too short! Damn, after 8 YEARS, the ONLY Italian date, I expected more than barely 1h and 30 of concert!!! (with an intermission). Considering that Vasco-nonno-Rossi, played that same evening for over 2 hours and 15 minutes!!!! Cherry on top, at the end of the concert, three black Mercedes cut through the crowd of fans and speed away into the night... Escorted by the police. Hooray for consistency!! Yuppy!!! Bye, Rage Against the Machine! Couldn't you choose something like 4 white Fiat Punto? So money also reunites bands? Who knows... I can't "justify" every behavior just because I'm a fan. I know, I know, they're musicians, famous, etc., etc., but I'm A BIT naturally argumentative and feel the jab is warranted! Damiano Ansaloni