Leg Injury Forces Rage Against the Machine to Cancel 2023 North American Tour
Tour dates have been canceled left and right in recent weeks, but this latest news is a real big bummer. Rage Against the Machine is canceling their 2023 North American tour, as frontman Zack de la Rocha still needs more time to heal the torn tendon in his leg.
For those that don’t remember, de la Rocha injured his leg jumping around on stage during the band’s second show on the road in Chicago. Though he was able to continue performing that night and eventually kept the show rolling for the rest of the tour, the band canceled its European dates that were supposed to have already taken place by now.
In a statement posted on the band’s Instagram page, de la Rocha expressed remorse for having to cancel the tour.
“It’s been almost three months since Chicago, and I still look down at my leg in disbelief. Two years of waiting through the pandemic, hoping we would have an opening to be a band again and continue the work we started 30 some odd years ago. Rehearsing, training, reconciling, working our way back to form. Then one and a half shows into it and my tendon tears. Felt like a sick joke the universe played on me. As I write this I remind myself it’s just bad circumstance. Just a fucked up moment.
“Unfortunately it is a moment that requires a lot of work and healing. I have a severe tear in my left Achilles tendon and only 8% of my tendon was left intact. And even that portion was severely compromised. It’s not simply a question of being able to perform again, but extends to basic functionality going forward. That’s why I’ve made the painful and difficult decision to cancel the remaining shows on our 2023 North American leg.
“I hate cancelling shows. I hate disappointing our fans. You have all waited so patiently to see us and that is never lost on me. I never take that for granted. For you I have the ultimate gratitude and respect. To my brothers Tim, Brad and Tom; EL P, Killer Mike, Trackstar and the whole RTJ crew; to everyone on our production team: techs, cooks drivers, assistants, security squad, to anyone and everyone who made the shows thus far possible, all my love and respect. I hope to see you very soon.”
While this sucks for everyone involved, it’s important to note that if you have a ticket for one of the dates, you can get a full refund through Ticketmaster or AXS. For anyone who bought their tickets directly from the venue, you should also be able to get a refund.
We’re bummed out to hear Rage Against the Machine can’t continue moving forward. Here’s hoping Zack de la Rocha can heal up soon and hopefully hit the stage once again.
