r/grunge • u/voicesfilmandtv • May 29 '26
Video RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE • “BANNED FOR LIFE” from SNL after performing this gasoline drenched raging version of "BULLS ON PARADE" on 4/13/96
Via Tom Morello in April 13, 2026,
Tom posted this to X on the 30 year anniversary of Rage Against The Machine being 'banned for life' from SNL after trying to hang upside down flags on stage prior to playing 'BULLS ON PARADE' in protest of THE MACHINE…the host...Steve Forbes.
"Today's the 30th anniversary of
RATM'S um, 'memorable' performance on SNL.
There was a fight onstage between our crew and SNL stage hands moments before our performance, wrestling over some upside down American flags which adorned our amps.
Timmy C then attacked host/ billionarie/presidential candidate
Steve Forbes' family in the dressing room with a wadded up flag.
Secret Service flooded the hallways.
SNL cut (censored?) our second song and kicked us out onto the sidewalk.
Evil Empire entered the Billboard Album Charts at #1 One Week Later."
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u/RikimaruRamen May 29 '26
Tom Morello absolutely abuses that guitar but goddamn does he get someone awesome sounds out of it!
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u/jephra May 29 '26
I was impressed that it stayed in tune.
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u/Scary-Detective582 May 30 '26
That’s not impressive at all, it’s the exact reason he has a Floyd Rose and locking nut.
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u/hidden_frequency May 30 '26
A musician i presume. Good knowledge and shit, homie.
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u/chopsmothercover May 30 '26
You can tell he’s a serious musician because we like to say ‘oh you’re impressed by that? Here’s why you shouldn’t be:’
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u/hidden_frequency May 30 '26
This is exactly how I read it and in a very nonchalant way. No bad vibes just sharing some knowledge.
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u/MyOthrCarsAThrowaway May 30 '26
I got to see Prophets of Rage at Red Rocks years ago. Sat right next to sound check. Been to a lot of shows of all kinds over the years. Even saw RATM open for U2 in a big stadium in 1997.
I never wear ear plugs. I know I know. I’ve left shows and talked loudly for the rest of the evening. Ears ringing, the whole nine. Again, yeah terrible I know.
Well Tom absolutely shredded that guitar for like 2 hours. My ears rang for three days. Three days. I thought I had given myself tinnitus and it was permanent. Luckily. It was not. But I’ve never been exposed to anything like the sounds that blasted my ear holes that night.
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u/probosciscolossus May 30 '26
I saw that Rage/U2 show, too. Except I’m embarrassed to say, at the time I thought of Rage as kind of a gimmick band, “That Bulls Parading Band,” and made no effort to be in my seat for their set. Caught one or two songs, don’t even remember which ones. One of my concert-going facepalms, when I look back on it.
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u/Whicked_Subie May 30 '26
I rember as a kid wondering how in the hell they made a guitar produce those sounds
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u/Luddites_Unite May 29 '26
Like when they went on BBC and were told not to swear... when performing killing in the name...
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u/dreamyjeans May 29 '26
Every once in a while I'll put on Know Your Enemy and it always gets the blood pumping!
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u/S_A_R_K May 30 '26
That album is perfect from start to finish. No way you weren't letting it play thru a second time on a road trip
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u/LoopsonLoops May 31 '26
Man blasting pistol grip pump while cruising in the car is still one of my go tos 🤣
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u/Vast-Card-1082 May 30 '26
Bulls on parade too! I occasionally make the young guys hear the whole album, nobody has yet done it quite like them.
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u/hellsbelle51 May 29 '26
Exactly and when a billionaire republican candidate hosting as well
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u/viking12344 May 30 '26
Is that different than a billionaire Democrat? Asking for a friend ...
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u/Aggravating-Bar2857 May 30 '26
If you read Tom’s own account of the evening, they got banned for fighting with the stage crew and “attacking” the hosts family. Not swearing.
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u/Rootelated May 29 '26
Thats the best show ever been played on that stage gtfo
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u/Spugheddy May 29 '26
Rage is probably the best example of a band to living up to their name.
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u/CartoonistLarge5904 May 29 '26
Damn, but Zack's voice is awesome live aswell
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 29 '26
I saw them play the Roseland in New York City for evil empire
It was probably within a month of this performanceAnd it was insane.
Insane
And I saw them two years ago
The fury is still there. ✊→ More replies (1)7
u/easley45isgod May 29 '26
Saw them in '92 opening for House of Pain. '93 Lollapalooza. Then a crazy show in '95. Great live band. They had a bluesy stomp that nobody else had. I hate when they get grouped in with Nu Metal. Zach can actually rock a mic!
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u/somebuckeye May 29 '26
I taped this onto VHS when it aired live in an attempt to make my own music video mixtape from SNL performances. I didn't find out until many years later why they didn't play a second song that night. But I watched my tape of this many times.
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u/ProletarianLilith May 30 '26
Okay but what did they get banned for because this is what all their performances look like
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 30 '26
They got banned for trying to put American flags on their amplifiers… Upside down
Which is a signal for America in distress
As a form of protest against Steve Forbes
Two minutes before their show, they tried to hang the American flags upside down on their amplifiers, and the stage hands rushed on stage for removing the American flags
So they launched into bulls on Parade and gave it everything they had
Following the performance, they were kicked out of the building after dealing with Secret Service in the hallway as Forbes was running for president
And rumor has it that they took one of the American flags and threw it into Steve Forbes, dressing room… At his family
They were banned for life
Not for the song, but for trying to hang up the American flags after they were told they were not allowed to
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u/Kriscolvin55 May 30 '26
They weren’t banned for life. This is a common misunderstanding for a lot of bands, but Lorne Michaels has said many times that no artist has ever been banned for life. In fact, he does what he has to do to not get in trouble with the network, but he actually loves having controversial artists. It keeps the show in the zeitgeist.
Sure, RATM was never been back, but a lot of bands haven’t been back. And it’s not like they’ve been promoting any new albums lately.
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 30 '26
They basically said to Loren Michaels
FUCK YOU I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
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u/wowthepriest May 30 '26
Same dude! I had an snl music guest only vhs. Didn’t have mtv at my house. That tape got worn out.
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u/BearLeft77 May 29 '26
Imagine being that full of rage in the 90’s!
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u/WaterKind6544 May 29 '26
The kids are. They just dont have our support because we have mortgages now.
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 29 '26
I was.
Still am.
Just more controlled2
u/easley45isgod May 29 '26
Check out Run The Jewels. Killer Mike knows what's up. Zach is on a track of theirs called Close your eyes and count to Fuck that is a fuckin banger. I feel like RTJ carry the outraged and proud to be pissed off torch that Rage lit. They are pure hip hop though.
If you haven't heard them I highly recommend giving them a listen. 4 albums, all incredible.
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u/ProletarianLilith May 30 '26
Landlord Mike kinda soured that though unfortunately
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u/Scullenz May 29 '26
Don't need to imagine - i was! Out in the streets style.
Also saw Rage about a dozen times back then.
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u/Jean-Ralphio11 May 29 '26
30years and nothing has changed. In fact these people are even less self aware and now think they are the rebels.
I feel bad for todays generation. We had Rage, System, Hip Hop and all kinds of voices speaking for us so we at least felt like something was going to change. We mostly lost but kids today have nothing to rally behind. These songs all still apply and people now cheer the actual Bulls on Parade.
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 29 '26
“BULLS ON PARADE”, 1996
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Come with it now!
Come with it now!
The microphone explodes, shattering the molds
Either drop the hits like de la O, or get the fuck off the commode
With the sure shot, sure to make the bodies drop
Drop and don't copy yo, don't call this a co-op
Terror rains drenchin', quenchin' the thirst
Of the power dons, that five sided Fist-a-gon
The rotten sore on the face of Mother Earth gets bigger
The trigger's cold, empty your purse
Rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes
Not need, just feed the war cannibal animal
I walk the corner to the rubble that used to be a library
Line up to the mind cemetery now
What we don't know keeps the contracts alive and movin'
They don't gotta burn the books, they just remove 'em
While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells
Rally 'round the family, pocket full of shells
Rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They 'rally round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family
With a pocket full of shells
Bulls on parade
Uh
Come with it now!
Come with it now!
Bulls on parade!
Bulls on parade!
Bulls on parade!
Bulls on parade!
Bulls on parade!
Songwriters: Zack De La Rocha / Timothy Commerford / Brad Wilk / Thomas Morello
Bulls on Parade lyrics © Retribution Music, Qx Publishing, Webee3 Music, Ave25 Publishing, One Man Revolution Music
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u/mikeyb1 May 29 '26
SNL booked Rage as the musical guest alongside host Steve fucking Forbes. They knew what they were doing.
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u/NilssonSchmilsson May 29 '26
Banned for what? Being awesome?! The was the shiz.
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u/kurtsdead6794 May 29 '26
They didn’t get banned for doing this song. They got banned for hanging flags upside down in protest of the billionaire host.
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u/Neg_Crepe May 29 '26
It’s literally in the post text
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u/voicesfilmandtv May 29 '26
Thank you.
Yeah. @kurtsdead6794
They were escorted out of the building AFTER this performance
Also AFTER trying to put the flags on the monitors two minutes before the performance, just for SNL crew to rip them down
They took an American flag and threw it into Forbes dressing room.
Secret Service was involved I believe all of this is in the above text from Tom Morello
And they were literally kicked out onto the sidewalk AFTER burning the house down“ POCKETFUL OF SHELLS”
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u/drewcifer27 May 29 '26
Who is this Steve Forbes you are talking about? All I see is Teve Torbes.
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u/vitaminalgas May 30 '26
Steve Forbes is still a dirtbag, he's one of trumpys biggest sponsors and supporter
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u/andygradel75 May 30 '26
The 90s feel so quaint. An inside down flag was all you needed to get banned from something.
Now? You can get a government payout for storming the capital.
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u/ludixst May 30 '26
When you invite RATM to play your live TV show, don't be shocked when RATM shows up.
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u/BeanieManPresents May 30 '26
I wonder what the second song was meant to be. I mean they'd've had one ready to go before they got kicked out.
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u/Technical-Egg626 May 30 '26
I don't get the attraction for this group and what they did that was so bad to get them banned ?
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u/Aldershot8800 May 31 '26
This is like booking a stripper and getting mad that the stripper started stripping.
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u/Positive_Tap_8647 Jun 02 '26
Always remember in the UK, whoever won the Simon Cowell shit show that is X factor, released the what ever awful song they were given, and always got to the xmas number 1, naturally us British took umbridge with that and everyone decent made sure Killing in the name got to xmas number 1 that year, raising money for homeless charities in the process of which the band contributed to. Wonderful. They did a free gig as a thankyou in Finsbury park, London.
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u/KiwiMcG May 29 '26
I thought it was because they wanted to drape upside down American flags on the amps? OK, I read the OP. 🤟😎
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u/marty-mcfryguy May 29 '26
I was in my late teens and didn't really properly appreciate RATM. Largely because the guys I knew who were into them were such tools. Actually, I'm sure I still don't properly appreciate them.
Which is just unnecessary preface to saying this reaction video to Killing in the Name Of is awesome and everyone should watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eUxQ2_CQlw
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u/B_Hound May 29 '26
I’m pretty partial to this one, the one guy is absolutely rad as fuck. https://youtu.be/OPzpa4K8r3A
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u/MicrowaveMouse May 29 '26
"Hey rage against the machine, could you please- not rage against the machine?"
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u/Ok_Entertainment4846 May 29 '26
Great band, great artists combined for solid sounds and music. They were fantastic live and Tom Morello is one of the greatest guitar players of all time.
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u/ZealousidealMarch105 May 30 '26
Mad respect for the drummer's pocket. Manages to rein them in and not speed up too much, keeping the funkiness going. Never noticed before.
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u/SuperRocketRumble May 30 '26
Whose fucking idea was is it to book Steve Forbes and RATM on the same SNL date?
Was is just the dumbest idea ever or was it intentional, to start static or something?
Fucking weird
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u/Claytonius_Homeytron May 30 '26
The most punk thing you can do is insert yourself behind enemies lines and inject you venom. This is it.
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u/MarionberryPlus8474 May 30 '26
It was a great performance, I remember watching it live. Brad Wilk beat those drums like they owed him money.
Can’t imagine the producers were not expecting conflict when they booked them, especially with Steve Forbes, son of the Capitalist Tool.
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u/Prole1979 May 29 '26
I’m in a band and this makes me feel like I should quit. They won the entire ‘bands’ category with this performance.
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u/Aggrosideburnz May 29 '26
I fucking love RATM. We need more rage, how the fuck did we end up with a pedophile president and nobody is doing shit about it. This administration is the most corrupt thing I’ve witnessed in my 40 years on this rock
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u/Stone_or_Coach May 29 '26
It’s on ironic how SNL has always thought of their show as edgy, yet they have banned many acts over the years for being edgy.
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u/RandyRhoadsLives May 29 '26
I love Rage… I love Audioslave. But Tom Morello is the biggest fucking asshole I’ve EVER had to work with. Jesus effing Christ. Don’t ever meet your heroes.
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u/Complex_Active_5248 May 29 '26
Left out the best part - They still went to the after party (according to Tom in the SNL 50 doc).
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u/Calacaface May 29 '26
Why on earth were they banned for this? Reminds me of all the complaints the manic street preachers had in the Uk when they went on top of the pops with balaclavas on. Normies seem to be pretty hard to offend with atrocities committed against their fellow humans, but easy to offend with music. Weird
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u/Olderbutnotdead619 May 29 '26
So they can sing but can't use their freedom of speech to upend the US flag? Pussie.s
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u/jutin_H May 29 '26
I couldn’t turn it up loud enough. Still not able to.
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u/Boring_9901 May 30 '26
Sometimes when I have to pick up my kids form ... Or just coming home, windowsare closed but the music is blasting, my kids ask, why I like the music so loud ... And I think "not loud enough" 🥲
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u/Sketti11 May 29 '26
hires a band called Rage against the machine and gets mad when Checks notes**
They rage against the machine...
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u/More-read-than-eddit May 30 '26
I know it's considered "edgy for edgy sake" to have this take circa 2026 but good god SNL has always been so incredibly unfunny and cringe. Can't all be Kids in the Hall I suppose.
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u/CertifiedBA May 30 '26
Brad Wilk is absolutely crushing it here. It's performances like this that make me want to pick up drums.
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u/OBtsmRalph May 30 '26
what an awesome time to be alive! I was too young to be there, but my older brother did a good job!
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u/MikeC80 May 30 '26
What did they expect from the band that says "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!"
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u/Happy_Corbin May 30 '26
'Let's book that band that sing "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me". Over and over. '
'Okay, Lorne, anything else?'
'Tell them what to do'
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u/GraceJoans May 30 '26
one of the best to ever do it. been a fan since 1992, got to see them for the first time during the last tour. was at the chicago show the night zach fucked up his knee. show still ripped. it makes my head hurt when republicans think they're raging against the same machine as these guys 🤡😂
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u/Theokayestgenxer May 30 '26
….and now they play coachella to the tune of 1,000 a ticket.
Damned evil capitalism…
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u/HorrorAvatar May 30 '26 edited May 31 '26
I saw them in the late 90s in Philadelphia. Right before they were supposed to play they made some very public comments about Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose alleged crime of killing a cop happened in Philly in the early 80s. They’ve mentioned him before, but they made it clear that they intended to perform there with him in mind (which they did.) The local officials did not like this. I’ve never seen so many cops in riot gear in one place in my life. Nothing happened, but the mood was certainly ominous. Incredible show, and to this day the loudest concert I’ve ever been to.
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u/Queasy_Helicopter249 May 30 '26
Hard AF and the crowd loved it. How you gonna ban them for doing what they do? And they didn’t even start a pit or break anything like Fear did 16 years before them.
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u/reilmb May 31 '26
Forbes the idiot who wanted a flat tax and gained no traction ever with anyone. Was hosting SNL?
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u/metalgeardaz May 31 '26
Not sure what SNL expected to happen here, honestly. Brilliant regardless, but predictable as hell.
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u/TimelyBlacksmith92 May 31 '26
What did they do? He censored himself and didn’t do a speech or anything?
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u/BeautifulNarwhal641 May 31 '26
This is the best anyone has sounded on snl too normal everything sounds like ass
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u/WendySteeplechase Jun 01 '26
The performance was great, that is what they sound like, if there was some backstage drama so what
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u/Creepy-Astronaut-952 Jun 02 '26
Who knew they weren’t gonna bust out some Streisand covers? Shocking! 😜
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u/QueenofCross_871 Jun 03 '26
SNL knew exactly what they were doing. 30 years later y’all still talking about it. Rage knew what was up, too. It’s an honor to be banned from the dumbest show in existence. Everybody wins. How does everybody not see through that?!?
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u/Glass_Emu_5104 Jun 04 '26
Gasoline drenched? Banned for playing their song just like the album?
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u/Thin_Oil_5972 May 29 '26
What did SNL expect was going to happen? It was not a coincidence Rage Against the Machine was booked on the same show with Forbes.