In a recent appearance, Tom Morello revealed that Rage Against The Machine actually returned half their fee from the first Coachella.
Depending on where you stand, Coachella is either a massive show of extreme privilege and Instagram-worthy perfection or a great weekend for you and your friends. Nevertheless, one can’t deny that it is one of the most successful music festivals in the world.
According to a flashback provided by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, though, the first instalment of the festival was so unsuccessful that Rage Against The Machine ended up returning half their appearance fee.
In a recent appearance on the Tuna On Toast podcast, Morello explained how despite the initial days being a hit, the promoters lost a whopping $850,000 USD due to the event not attracting as many visitors as expected.
“Coachella was so unsuccessful they asked for half the money back,” he said on the podcast. At the time, Rage Against The Machine headlined the festival, along with Tool and Beck.
Morello also revealed that the band complied because the promoters had been longtime friends of the band.
“It was Goldenvoice! They had booked Lock Up [Morello’s band before RATM] shows. They had booked every back-alley show from day one. They were the punk-rock promoters. They were just like bros.” he said.
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Of course, present day is a different story, with Coachella raking in millions of dolalrs every year. RATM, too, are set to return to the festival in 2021 – once again as headliners.
As for Morello, he does not have regrets about returning the fee except one. “We should have asked for a piece of the festival,” he joked. “That’s what we should have done. I’m not much of a businessman.” he said on the podcast.
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Check out ‘Killing In The Name’ by Rage Against The Machine:
