INDIO, Calif- Thousands of sunburnt fans roared in unison and pumped their fists in the desert air Sunday night as reunited political rockers Rage Against the Machine took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Grinning, lead singer-rapper Zack de la Rocha pumped his fist along with them. Seven years after the quartet broke up following de la Rocha's departure, the band returned with a vengeance to close out the three-day festival east of Palm Springs. Stomping, shouting into his microphone, grabbing his curly hair and inciting the audience to "keep fighting," de la Rocha powered through songs ranging from the bass heavy "Bulls on Parade" to the anthem "Killing in the Name."
He also railed against the war in Iraq and likened Bush administration officials to Nazi war criminals. "This current administration is no exception. They should be tried and hung and shot," he said.
Drummer Brad Wilk, bassist Tim Commerford and guitarist Tom Morello, who wore a hat with the word "UNITY" on it, completed the lineup.
"They changed my life. They made me a liberal," said sweat-drenched history teacher Rafael Ramon, 25, who had waited in a crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the stage all day. "All of America needed Rage to come back. They've been missing," he said.
The band last played the festival during its first year in 1999. An estimated 180,000 people attended the festival over the three days but police said there were few problems.