Tom Morello Once Again Shuts Down Claims That Rage Against The Machine's Reunion Tour Required COVID-19 Vaccination

In what is becoming a recurring trend, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello has once again responded to the frequent allegations that his multi-platinum rap-metal band required COVID-19 vaccinations to attend their short-lived 2022 reunion tour. That claim widely gained traction, particularly among right-wing circles amid the pandemic, with many detractors going on to label the band as ‘Rage For The Machine’ in turn.

As Morello has done several times in the past, he has once again directly replied to individuals on social media claiming his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted band expressly required proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend their reunion shows.

The timeline of that tour certainly muddled the events. Originally announced for 2020, the resulting COVID-19 pandemic saw the highly anticipated live reunion met with multiple delays. During that period of postponement and rescheduling, venue and local authority requirements for admission to live events and public gatherings remained fluid, with proof of vaccinations and masks dependent on shifting local policies.

However, by the time the tour actually took place in 2022, those restrictions had been lifted. Speaking yesterday (December 18th) on social media in response to a pair of posts on X, Morello stated:

“While I’m unbothered that you no longer listen to RATM, I’ll clear up a common right wing misconception for you (as I have for many low information loudmouths in the past): Rage never required a vax (or a mask) to buy a ticket to or attend ANY concert in the band’s entire history. Feel free to check with any of the thousands who attended. I preemptively accept your apology and happy holidays to you.”

“NO Ticketmaster requirement in pre pandemic 2019 when the shows sold out. NO requirement in 2022 when shows were rescheduled. While other bands were playing these venues with vax requirements, we waited. Not for reasons you might like, but to keep our fans as safe as possible. NO fans on the entire 19 show tour had any vax requirement. Zero. None.”

A separate post also saw Morello respond to allegations of him publicly endorsing political parties:

“One last low information loudmouth clean up today: I have NEVER publicly endorsed ANY mainstream Democratic or Republican candidate, EVER, including Harris. I have consistently been a vocal critic of of both Trumpism’s horrible racism and fascist tendencies as well as corporate Dem war crimes and Wall Street subservience. On social media, live performances and on my records. You just don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. But happy holidays anyway.”