Rage Against the Machine- Live At the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Rage Against the Machine was a driving force throughout the 90’s with their angry blend of funk, metal, punk, and hip-hop. Fronted by the angry, Zach De La Rocha, Rage spit out 3 albums and 1 cover. At the height of their career, De la Rocha announced plans for a solo project, and things just seemed to fly by from there.
Live at Olympic is the capture of Rage against the Machine’s last, powerful concert, along with footage of their protest concert at the Democratic National Convention. I am going to divide the review into 3 sections, to explain the concert, convention, as well as the extra features. Afterwards, I will list the recommended songs for each, as well as pros and cons. I particularly loved watching this DVD, (still do, actually) and can find very few things which seem imperfect. Scale is measured in :thumb: with a max of 5. Enjoy!!!!
The Band-
Zach De La Rocha- Vocals
Tom Morello- Guitars
Timmy C.- Bass
Brad Wilk- Drums
ALL SOUNDS MADE BY LISTED INSTRUMENTS
‘Live At Olympic Grand’ concert
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This concert, from start to finish, is absolutely amazing. As soon as the band steps out, and Zach yells “Check 1,2” the crowd is anticipating the most energetic live performance they’ve seen. (and you too!)
Starts off with Tom Morello dramatically playing a little progression, when without notice, the band just rips into Bulls On Parade, which is probably the only song that I’ve ever stood up to watch. The energy is incredible, as if someone set off a bomb in the crowd. The mosh pits form and people are just going insane. The band rips through Bombtrack, before hitting another highlight, Calm Like A Bomb. Zach’s voice is much more clear on the live version of this. Morello’s guitar work is stunning, and Zach’s wah-wah bass lines really cut through. After the fist pumping performance with the last lines of “There’s a right to obey, and a right to kill.”, one of the weaker performances, Bullet in the Head. I love this song, but live, it didn’t do the justice. Zach’s voice is all over the place, with a slight impediment that can get quite annoying. Another thing that I don’t like is the choruses. Timmy C. helps out to sing ‘em, and even though I love his playing, he really shouldn’t sing. He kinda sounds like the Incredible Hulk. And the solo sounds a tad different. But Zach’s screams at the end are really weak, and he doesn’t hold them out for very long. After Bullet, one of my favorite songs, Sleep Now in the Fire takes place. I like it a bit more than the recording, because Zach’s energy is a bit higher, because of the response from the crowd. After a cover and a couple songs from Battle of Los Angeles, the explosion of Guerrilla Radio comes in, and the band goes crazy. After a couple songs, Cypress Hill comes out to join them for How I Could Just Kill a Man. The singer from Cypress Hill has possibly the most annoying voice ever. But there is still hope among the last three songs, which are some amazing performances, especially Testify. Freedom closes this ball breaking concert, and lets you know that this hell-raising legacy has truly changed the face of the music industry, as well as our attitudes. ;)
Recommended Songs- Bulls on Parade, Bombtrack, Calm Like a Bomb, Sleep Now in the Fire, Guerilla Radio, Testify
Concert Rating: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: and ½ [4.5/5]
Pros
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+ Energy is ever present
+ Most songs feature great riffs and music
+ Zach’s voice is for the most part, strong.
Cons
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- Timmy C.’s voice
- Bullet in the Head wasn’t as good
- Cypress Hill’s singer
Democratic National Convention
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After the awesome concert at the auditorium, you would think that a Rage show couldn’t get any cooler. Well this 6 song protest will prove you wrong. The intro is quite dramatic, with Take the Power Back playing above some footage of protesters and fans that are awaiting chaos. After the introduction stops, you see the band come out on stage and give a warm, welcoming speech. “ There’s a show over there, but it’s apparently all sold out. Our democracy has been hijacked, and we cannot let our streets be ruled by Democrats or Republicans.” The rip right through Bulls on Parade, as at least 5 mosh pits form in this audience as Zach screams “Rally ‘round tha family, with a pocket full of shells!” Testify is once again flawless, and is my favorite Rage song for that reason. If you thought Guerrilla Radio was explosive at Olympic Grand, you should seriously check this concert out. Three words have never been more powerful. “Set it off!” Sleep Now in the Fire and Freedom are jam-packed with insanity, bull-dozing the authority. But Killing in the Name is the most anger stricken song there, with a small riot going on, and the police using tear gas and rubber bullets to control them. The lyrics are attacking, as the protesters lose their minds, walking on a razor wire fence during “F**k you I won’t do what you tell me!” The brief footage of the cop will anger you. He tells a woman that it’s her fault that she got run over by the protesters. Amazing concert!
Recommended songs: All of them!
Concert Overall: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: [5/5]
Pros
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+ Great footage
+ Protesters are insane
+ Songs rock
+ Energy!!!
Cons
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- Cop is a real twat
Extras
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Some of the extras are really cool, such as the performance of Know Your Enemy, and the Bombtrack video. The latter of the two shows some brutal footage in Peru of protesters being massacred. The performance of Know Your Enemy is nothing short of awesome, with the band perfecting every aspect of the song. The other two, How I Could Just Kill A Man, which has a cool video, but I can’t seem to like the song. Zach’s vocals are just too different. And People of the Sun is mediocre. However, you don’t necessarily have to watch these things, but they are recommended.
Extra’s Overall: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: and ¾
Pros
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+ Know Your Enemy
+ Bombtrack
Cons
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- Vocals on How I Could Just Kill a Man
- People of the Sun is mediocre
DVD Overall: One of the best DVD’s I’ve bought, and certainly not my last Rage DVD. It’s filled with brutal truth, energy, and amazing music. Nothing short of a [4.5/5]
