“The solo is an attempt to conjure the screaming lost souls of social justice struggles past”: Tom Morello reunites with Bruce Springsteen for some show-stopping leads

Tom Morello made a surprise appearance at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles as he briefly joined Bruce Springsteen on stage this past weekend (April 7). This is the first time the two icons have appeared together since 2016.

After kicking off the show with Open All Night, Springsteen pulled out all the stops when he performed live favorite Sherry Darling for the first time during this tour. He also invited his wife, Patti Scialfa, on stage to sing backing vocals on Fire and Tougher Than the Rest. However, the real shocker was Tom Morello's return as a temporary member of the E Street Band. 

The duo tore through The Ghost Of Tom Joad and American Skin (41 Shots) – both of which were tour debuts. In this fan footage, Morello can be seen singing – and most importantly – shredding, alongside Springsteen, using his now-iconic 'Arm The Homeless' guitar. 

Springsteen, Tom Morello "41 Shots" (partial) into "Ghost of Tom Joad" LA N2, Kia Forum (4/7) - YouTube

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In an interview with MusicRadar, Morello noted how he took inspiration from Springsteen's lyrics when crafting this particular solo: "I am a big fan of the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen; I take them very seriously. Especially with Ghost Of Tom Joad – the solo on that is an attempt to conjure the screaming lost souls of social justice struggles past."

This is far from the first time Tom Morello has collaborated with Springsteen. In addition to playing on several of Springsteen's records, most notably Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), Morello joined him on The Wrecking Ball Tour and The High Hopes Tour in 2012-2013 and 2014 respectively.

Their collaborative spirit was the highlight of these two tours, with the duo treating the audience to their rendition of Van Halen's Jump in Dallas and AC/DC's Highway to Hell in Brisbane, Australia.

While it looks like Rage Against the Machine fans will not get a reunion anytime soon, they can catch Tom Morello at one of his upcoming tour dates. The tour kicks off with an intimate show at London's Electric Ballroom on June 13, followed by festival appearances across the UK and Europe.

Meanwhile, the Boss is set to get the big screen treatment. The much-hyped Deliver Me From Nowhere will chronicle the making of his 1982 album Nebraska.