Rage urges Big Easy residents to fight government

10/27/2007 1:00 AM, Reuters
Gelu Sulugiuc

Reunited rock-rap group Rage Against The Machine brought its militant politics to New Orleans on Friday, and urged the citizens of the ravaged city to fight alleged government belligerence.

The Los Angeles foursome, known for its leftist politics and anti-corporate tirades, was the top draw on the opening night of the three-day Voodoo Music Experience festival.

Partially reunited modern rock stalwarts the Smashing Pumpkins head the bill on Saturday, and alternative country-rock band Wilco will close the event on Sunday.

For most of Rage's set, frontman Zack de la Rocha said little more than introduce the band. Just before the encore, he finally addressed the raucous crowd, saying that visiting the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina on the poor and mostly African-American Ninth Ward neighborhood convinced him that the U.S. government was at war with New Orleans.

"You represent all the beauty that still exists in this city. Wake up and fight them," he urged fans, seemingly unaware that few denizens of the Ninth Ward were likely present in the overwhelmingly white audience.

Rage reunited earlier this year after a seven-year hiatus, initially for one show only at the Coachella festival in southern California. But more festival dates were added in the United States over the summer and fall, and now the band is scheduled to play in Japan and Australia next year.

At Voodoo, Rage performed such 1990s hits as "Killing in the Name," "Bulls on Parade" and "Freedom." De la Rocha whipped the audience into a jumping frenzy when he repeatedly screamed the lyric "All hell can't stop us now!" during the climax of the anthemic "Guerrilla Radio."

On the second stage, Sri Lankan female rapper M.I.A. pranced and gesticulated alongside a sidekick dressed in a matching colorful spandex outfit. Other performers included Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Porcupine Tree and Kings of Leon.

Still to come during the weekend are Sinead O'Connor, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and a plethora of New Orleans acts.

Voodoo, now in its ninth season, returned to New Orleans only two months after Katrina hit in 2005, with tickets given away to rescue workers. The festival expanded to three days this year after the surprising success of 2006, when more than 90,000 people came to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Duran Duran.

Organizers had a scare on Monday, when torrential rain flooded parts of the festival grounds in City Park, near the New Orleans Museum of Art. But the weather cooperated the rest of the week and the water seeped away.