Watch Zack de la Rocha play some seriously hardcore guitar in recently unearthed video
The performance captures the Rage Against the Machine frontman onstage in 1990 with his hardcore band Hard Stance
Zack de la Rocha is, of course, best known as the politically charged frontman of Rage Against the Machine, but he wasn’t always a vocalist. Prior to his tenure with RATM he also played electric guitar in straight-edge hardcore band Hard Stance.
In a newly resurfaced video, obtained by Hate5six.com, de la Rocha can be seen rocking out on guitar at a Hard Stance gig on March 4, 1990 at Hollywood Live in Hollywood, CA.
Just one year later, he would go on to form Rage Against the Machine and turn the music world on its head alongside Tom Morello, who assumed guitar duties in the landmark rap-rock band.
“The following footage was recovered from a tape owned by the Haworth family and provided to hate5six.com for digitization, restoration, and online preservation,” reads a statement at the beginning of the clip.
“The identity of the original filmer is currently unknown but will be made clear in the description should they come forward.”
You can check out the full 30-minute performance above.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
“I wasn’t gifted with enormous speed on the guitar. There were years when I thought I could get that if I practiced enough. It wasn’t ever really going to happen”: David Gilmour explains the origins of his lauded ‘feel’ playing technique
“It would've been almost two hours to get home in traffic. I said to myself, ‘You’re here. Just write a song.’ Within 30 minutes, Pumped Up Kicks revealed itself to me”: How a ’59 Jazzmaster and capture-the-moment attitude keep Foster the People in gear