Rage Against The Machine
Finsbury Park
07/06/2010

As the sun sets and the sweet smell of skunk drifts across Finsbury Park, Pedro Erazo launches a drum into the audience then swims through a sea of arms to mount it. From this makeshift podium, the Gogol Bordello MC incites a baying crowd to breaking point.

Punters are perched in the treetops, have scaled fences and even ram-raided a rear gate just to get a glimpse of Rage Against The Machine’s free concert, celebrating the Facebook campaign that gave them an Xmas No. 1.

Sprightly Zack De La Rocha hurls himself and his afro about the stage, Tom Morello performs a Jimmy Page-style “ooh look, my guitar is a violin!” intro to ‘Bulls On Parade’ whilst the band cover The Clash’s ‘White Riot’ after handing a big cheque to Jon and Tracy Morter, the duo who made them turn the guns of their audio assault vehicle on Simon Cowell’s karaoke fortress.

Subjecting the crowd to Joe McElderry’s cover of Miley Cyrus audio-turd ‘The Climb’ might have been overkill, although some saw the funny side with ironic lighters held aloft before the band burst back on stage for a triumphant ‘Killing In The Name Of’.

It’s clear that although it may be a dated genre, Rage’s fiery brand of rap-rock is still the best delivery method for incendiary invective.

Michael Bennett