No, Rage Against The Machine Are Not Touring Australia In January

Rage Against The Machine fans with a working internet connection have had their emotions toyed with overnight with rumours circling online that the band are due to tour Australia this coming January. The only problem is, the source of those rumours was a piece of information from eight years ago.

The rumour seemed to have already begun spreading around the time a local music journalist and reviewer sent out this tantalising tweet:

RATM sydney and melb dates leaked by FL then deleted? Were those 2016 SW dates too? Hmm..

— Ricky Saul @ WOS (@rickysaul90) August 4, 2015

The Twitterverse reacted immediately with more information, including that the dates in question were for January, with the Sydney show due to take place on 22nd, at the Entertainment Centre.

Now savvy gig-goers will notice three problems there. One, Sydney’s Entertainment Centre no longer goes by the name of the Entertainment Centre. Two, the bulding formerly knwon as Sydney’s Entertainment Centre will no longer exist next January. And, three, RATM actually already played a gig at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre on January 22nd, back in 2008.

While our previous tweeter was quick to remedy his mistake, acknowledging that he had mistakenly referred to a Faster Louder article that dated back to 2007, the rumour had already taken off, with tweeters sharing the article on Facebook and excited fans seeking confirmation from Soundwave head honcho AJ Maddah, only to, eventually, have their dream crushed when spotting the article’s date.

A return to the stage would be a huge event for RATM fans, given that the band has not played live since headlining its own L.A. Rising festival show in Los Angeles in 2011 and comments by drummer Brad Wilk, that Rage may have already played their last show.

Tom Morello has also hinted in recent years that Rage may be over. In 2012 the hype surrounding the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut went by with only a special edition release and no performances.

The sting feels all too real once more. The again, what if it’s all an elaborate double bluff, leading into an eventual surprise tour announcement? My heart can’t take this stress. Let’s all rage against the machine that is the internet for this one guys.

Watch: Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name Sydney 08

RATM sydney and melb dates leaked by FL then deleted? Were those 2016 SW dates too? Hmm..

— Ricky Saul @ WOS (@rickysaul90) August 4, 2015

@Unicorn_Christ please ignore, I was reading a 2007 article that discussed the tour that I was at #derp

— Ricky Saul @ WOS (@rickysaul90) August 4, 2015