Having been announced for Bluesfest as well as side shows, we dive into the legacy of the man himself.
Tom Morello is, in a word, a hero. Socially, musically and politically, he’s been waving his tremolo and killswitch-equipped flag for decades, and has been pushing the boundaries of the guitar in Rage Against the Machine, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Audioslave, Prophets of Rage and more.
More recently, Tom has released multiple albums under his own name and is a session player for some of the biggest names, further refining his musical chops and identity. His tone and style is instantly recognisable, more than can be said for a lot of guitarists if we’re honest! His live show is a world-altering set, an eye-opener and above all a unifying experience.
Morello initially pursued a career in politics, spending the late 80s working in the office of a US Senator and, disillusioned by the lack of real change happening, left the job before forming Rage Against the Machine with vocalist Zack de la Rocha. The last few decades have seen Morello pushing for social change on and off the stage, expressing himself politically as well as musically, and using a myriad of tools, tricks, effects and techniques to create some of the most unique sounds ever made on his humble guitar.
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Combining elements of rock, funk, metal and hip-hop, Rage Against the Machine gave Morello the space to use effects and his simplistic riffing style to support de la Rocha’s messages. It was here Morello began to build his sonic identity, and a legacy was born.
Decades on and Morello is in Australia for Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, bringing his signature raucous energy and expressive playing to the masses. In addition to Bluesfest, Tom Morello is playing two sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney, supported by BIG NOTER. Morello’s live show is not one to miss; it’s exciting, provocative and above all, an exhibition of musical prowess, the man himself making it look easy, but it’s second nature, despite the world-class musicianship on show.
Morello’s live show is not one to miss;
Techniques that some players can’t even imagine have been practiced, refined and perfected. Morello has spoken to his influences, reading guitar magazines growing up that spoke to the limitations of the guitar, the struggle to create sounds that hadn’t already been made, and the fire that it lit inside of Morello to push the boundaries of six strings.
Beyond the traditional hard-rock tone heard on Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled 1992 album, Morello exhibits expansive ambience and synth-like tonality in his solo work, both under his own name and as The Nightwatchman. Guitar tone aside, Morello also employs use of a kill-switch for stuttering effects and a pick for DJ-esque scratching sounds, tying together Rage’s hip-hop and rock influences.
His use of unique techniques to create otherworldly sounds is never more on show than when he’s playing live, the energy and excitement of the crowd allowing Morello to improvise and adapt to the audience. Using a slide and pickup selector as a kill-switch, Morello will make his guitar snarl and bark, harnessing bluesy tonality and modern electronic-type sounds, even using an unplugged cable to create otherworldly, synthesized sounds with expansive delay, reverb and more to transport the audience to another dimension.
Using environmental sounds as inspiration, Morello would practice imitating sirens, helicopters and animals, all of this being intricately woven into Morello’s music to inspire images of protests, people and the world at large fighting for a better lived experience.
Morello’s solo albums The Atlas Underground, The Atlas Underground Fire and The Atlas Underground Flood tie together Tom’s softer side, leaning further into sonic soundscapes and, ironically, further away from the guitar. The opening track from Flood, ”A Radical in the Family” is wide and open, like a rainforest, its expansive sonics reaching far and wide. If it weren’t for Morello’s name you mightn’t know there was a Fender Strat at the core of it all.
Techniques like tapping and divebombs were commonplace throughout hard rock and metal in the 80s, and while forward thinking at the time, Morello expanded on these sounds further with the use of whammy, unique picking and dedicated modifications to his guitars’ electronics and wiring, as well as visual and aesthetic design choices. Morello sees the guitar’s body as one more canvas to express himself.
Morello’s “Arm the Homeless” guitar and his “Soul Power” Strat are amongst his most famous. The original “Soul Power” hangs in the The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“The Met”), while his “Arm The Homeless” guitar still sees consistent use across stages and studios all over the world.
Morello uses the guitar for so much more than its typical intention. The guitar has become an icon of powerful messages in rock, rock bands going against the status quo for decades, yet Morello uses it as a beacon of hope, an icon of change and a vast stream of sonic possibilities to do it all.
Six strings, a bunch of frets and a couple of pickups are a limitation accepted by a lot of players, but not Morello. His unique use of technique and sonic artistry perks up our ears, makes us turn to listen and focus, and then he leans into his messaging, either physically scratched into his guitars or in politically charged lyrics. Morello is one for change, putting his money where his mouth is, and finding new tools to spread awareness, information and above all: hope.
Tom’s legacy extends far and wide, much farther than purely the music he’ll be performing at Bluesfest and solo sideshows. An activist and fighter for human rights, Morello spends as much time campaigning for change as he does expanding the world of guitar, borrowing from traditional blues and rock and melding it with his own palette of unique sounds and tones. It’s a melting pot of influences, albeit mind-blowing, that manifests in something that above all: is musical.
Bluesfest 2025
His appearances in Melbourne, Sydney and Byron Bay’s Bluesfest in April will have his entire legacy on show, performed within his solo work; a culmination of years of refining his musical palette and the techniques he uses to express it. Tom Morello in Australia is, simply put, not to be missed. His show is a feast for the musicians in the crowd, and a wonderland for music fans, showcasing his forward thinking approach to ‘playing’ every part of the guitar. Expression, community and activism are core to Morello’s identity, and live is the place to see it, hear it and live it.
Tom Morello plays The Forum in Melbourne on Sunday 13 April, the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday 16 April and Bluesfest on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 April, 2025. For info, tickets and more, visit bluesfesttours.com.au.
