Ahead of his India visit, the legendary guitarist, popular for music with some of the most influential American bands, dives into evolution of his music, and why social activism is important in whatever role you play in society
Morello is on a three-city tour with performances in Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Photo Courtesy: Steve Rose
American guitarist Tom Morello doesn't need an introduction for many rock fans not only around the world but also in India. This is because he is a legend synonymous with some of the most addictive rock riffs and tunes for many Indians who have grown up listening to Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, among his other bands and solo acts. It’s this fandom that has led the Grammy Award-winning musician to make his way to India this December for the very first time.
He explains, "I'm very excited to come to India. It’s really a dream come true. I wanted to travel to India my whole life and to be able to not only travel to India but to play shows for fans there who have been waiting a very, very long time is so exciting."
Morello is on a three-city tour with performances in Gurugram on December 17 at HUDA Gymkhana, Mumbai on December 19 at MMRDA Grounds, and Bengaluru on December 21 at Phoenix Marketcity, Whitefield. The tour is the first in a series of rock music live shows for 'Bandland On Tour', an extension of Bandland, the rock and alternative music festival, helmed by BookMyShow Live in India, coming at a time when there are so many different kinds of music festivals mushrooming in the country.
Evolution of rock music
He adds, "I've been hearing from Rage Against the Machine fans, Audioslave fans, Prophets of Rage fans, even Bruce Springsteen fans, and fans of my solo work in guitar playing, for decades and now to be able to go there and to play Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave music, to play my guitar to the absolute best of my ability for fans who have been waiting so long is really a dream come true."
Rock music has evolved a lot since Morello started out over four decades ago but the guitarist isn't thinking about the larger picture at all because he loves spending time in his own zone and growing as an artist. "I pay less attention to how rock music has evolved generally and really only focused on how my music is evolving - from Rage Against The Machine to Audio Slave, the more melodic music of Audio Slave to my solo work which includes folk music working with EDM artists, working with Bruce Springsteen -- it has really been a journey." During this time, Morello says he's made 22 albums, and very much looks forward to playing music from throughout that career when I'm in India.
This very lifelong experiment with music has led him to learn a lot from all the bands and musicians he has played with. He shares, "There's a lot you learn from each group of musicians that you perform with - band chemistry is what makes a band great, each person making a contribution, but the collective outcome is something that none of you could have created alone. So, in Rage Against The Machine, it was the anger, the aggression, the political urgency. With Audio Slave, it was deep poetic lyrics, the melodicism of Chris Cornell's incredible voice matched with an expanded musical palette but also rocking very hard with my solo stuff, as an artist is able to explore purity of artistic vision unblemished by other people's opinions and I greatly enjoyed that as well. So, in some ways, I think I've had the best of both worlds."
Social activism and India visit
Over the years, Morello hasn't only been a musician because he has also been very vocal as a social activist about many issues including the more recent Israel-Gaza conflict, but it feels like it's in his nature because of how passionate he is about activism. At a time when people with influence and power aren't vocal for their own reasons, ask him what role musicians play in speaking up about socio-political issues and he is quick to say, "I wouldn't limit it to musicians. I think that each of us has a responsibility to be who we are in what we do. So as a musician, I make albums, I give interviews, I have T-shirt designs, I play shows, and in those things it's important to me to express my opinions. I think it's no less important for a music journalist or a carpenter or a student in whatever it is that they do to not leave behind who they are."
Even as he brings this very energy through his music, a visit here is going to be a lot more, he says. "I'm bringing my family and cannot wait. It’s a place that I've always dreamed of visiting. So I'm looking forward to hearing more Indian music and of course visiting the Taj Mahal which I've seen since I was a tiny child as one of the great wonders of the world. I'm also excited to experience the different cultures and different foods in different parts of India that we're travelling to, and most of all experience what it’s to play in front of fans," he concludes.
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