PROPHETS OF RAGE // Fists Raised To The Sky

PROPHETS OF RAGE with Dead Letter Circus & Bare Bones
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Australia
Thursday 22 March, 2018

As wet and rough as the Sydney weather was, the storm that raged inside the Hordern Pavilion was greater. Prophets Of Rage, the supergroup comprised of members from Public Enemy, Cyprus Hill and Rage Against The Machine, en route to Download Festival Melbourne, came to spread their gospel of solidarity, rebellion and peace bound by a unique blanket of rap-rock.

MORE: Dead Of Winter Festival 2018 First Line-Up Revealed // AFI – Dark Flames & Poisoned Hearts … Sing the Sorrow Turns 15 // THE BRONX – Heart Attack Americans … The Album that Brought Punk Back

Sydney’s own Bare Bones attempted to dig a trench of excitement before the night’s headliners. People trickled in but few settled for their zealous punk vibes, despite their best efforts.

Bare Bones // By Ashley Mar

Dead Letter Circus, like Moses parting the Red Sea, created a channel of division between the audience during their first performance in nine months. The admiration they might have gained for their energy and enthusiasm was hard to bestow thanks to the poor quality in sound that damaged what could have been an impressive set. The supports were the uncertain calm before the raging storm.

Dead Letter Circus // By Ashley Mar

The ground rumbled, the lights rolled, and Prophets Of Rage crashed onto the stage to raucous cries. With their fists raised to the sky, the audience were the rolling thunder, bringing the power that the Prophets fed from. Fans in attendance may testify that the venue shook with the relentless energy of the group, a life-force exchanged between musician and music lover that didn’t let up the entire evening.

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

Tom Morello, famed guitarist with Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, is a monster, an absolute monster. The man did things with his instrument you couldn’t conceive on this plane of existence. His motions were fluid, effortless, and the sounds he mustered with every solo, every rendition of the band’s combined back catalogue and original material, stirred the audience into a frenzy.

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

A touching tribute to the late Chris Cornell, the familiar riff of Audioslave’s Like A Stone rang out serene, the audience left to carry the vocals. Though the band were doused in red light, a white light centred on the vacant vocalist microphone, a place where on stages around the world, Cornell once filled. Even the hardest hip-hop fan and heaviest hard rocker was involved in this moving tribute.

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

Solidarity. Unity. One. These are the lessons learnt from the night’s teachings. Middle fingers were raised to the air through Unfuck The World, backs were broken when the crowd jumped as one from the floor to open Jump Around, and any remaining drops of energy drained out through exhausted bodies over closer Killing In The Name. Prophets Of Rage message was clear and great–everything’s fucked but it’ll be okay.

Prophets Of Rage // By Ashley Mar

Prophets Of Rage play Download Melbourne this Saturday, Tickets available here.

Prophets Of Rage also play The Tivoli, Brisbane on Monday March 26 (Lic/AA), tickets available here.