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Rage Against Reading: relive, contrast and compare previous performances

Few bands have a legacy so entwined with the history of Reading festival. Few bands have got the great unwashed leaping and screaming quite so loud'm'proud. But then few bands have raps, riffs, and bass lines as incendiary as Rage Against the Machine.

Ahead of - or for those of you not there, instead of - here's some of their classic Reading moments which should hint at what, we hope, lies ahead this weekend...

 

'Bulls on Parade' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 2000.

 

'Guerrilla Radio' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 2000.

 

'Testify' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 2000.

 

'Know Your Enemy' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 1996.

 

'Bombtrack' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 1996.

 

'Kick Out the Jams' (MC5 cover) by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 2000.

 

'Killing in the Name Of' by Rage Against the Machine live at Reading 1996.

 

DiScuss: Anyone else feel about fourteen right now? So which year was their best? Do they get better with age or does the snarl of youth hit home that bit harder?

Hmmm

When I saw them in 2000 or 2001 they were just ok.

It's like seeing that guy you knew 6 years ago that you never really got on with and saying, "OMG HI!!! HOW ARE YOU!!?!?!"

Otherwise, yeah they'll be fucking great. Much worthier and able to headline Reading now than last time.

See also: Pumpkins last year.

It'll wash all the doubters away.

OR WILL IT?

oh god

shut up

amazing

scenes... I was somewhere in the middle of that.

and I thought it was amazing...

...that they were not higher on the bill in 2000... third from top, right? Below Slipknot and... someone else?

Wasn't it post Roskilde

put all heavy bands on during daylight?

it really is remarkable

just how bad audioslave were when this is want went before.

Erm...

Placebo? Not quite Reading but it hammered it down in Leeds for their set.

15, first festival, bruised two ribs on the front barrier from My Vitriol onwards. Brilliant.

Stereophonics headlined if I remember rightly. Ah well...

I saw them in 1993.

They were ok. I was more into Porno For Pyros at the time. "SUFFER YOU CUNTS!".

Yeah the 1993

Show is strangeley missing from your round up.

[cries about age]

Well I saw them at TITP

And haven't seen them before. But they were pretty bloody fucking amazing from what I could see...

^Thissy here

I think it was Papa Roach or some such colossal nu-metal mess, didn't the Stereophonics close the show too? I was fast asleep in the car by then.

It's not irrational

It makes perfect sense. I feel it too.

Shit!

4:40-4:44 of the Know Your Enemy performance in '96 = WOW

I was there in 2000, it was brilliant. And indeed Stereophonics, Placebo and Slipkont were above them. Sad times. I had a bacon roll during Slipkont. It was lush.

Not forgetting

that Daphne and Celeste were on just before them. Oh yes.

Well it's a bit irrational.

They have to endure being at Reading Festival after all.

amusingly - 96 - Know Your Enemy

I'm in that video.

Everytime i see it i feel old looking at a younger me.

So..erm.. thanks for that Mr Adams.

Thanks for the Reading 2000 nostalgia.

It seems like maybe it really was as awesome as I remember. Ah. A pleasant surprise.

I saw them many times

Their performance at reading I think it was 95 or 96 was incredible.

I remember watching them at I think it was the Astoria and being blown away but the intensity, it was the Evil Empire tour, completely mental.

Reading - their last ever festival performance was the most crazy, I was in the huge circle pit in front of Morello, and my T-shirt actually got ripped from my body, leaving me somewhat chilly for the rest of the afternoon.

I then saw their last ever show in London that christmas and it was tight, but somewhat disbondent

Well, 2008

did it for me quite happily :]

Yeah

I used to watch that bit from 96 over and over and dream of seeing them play. I still don't think i've ever been to a festival where it's kicked off like that, even seeing Rage there in 2000. And just to shamelessly boast, I managed to blag it onto the side of the stage in 2000 to watch them. It was stunning.

Politics

there's all this fuss about the political messages RATM were dishing out at reading - when have RATM not been politicial - it's just who they are

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