On July 11th, in Chicago, Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha injured his leg during just the fourth song of the second show on the group's long-awaited "Public Service Announcement" reunion tour. The rapper has been performing while sitting down on a road case center stage ever since, a cast visible around his lower left leg and foot. But the exact nature of his injury has remained unclear.
Today (August 12th), acclaimed photographer Glen E. Friedman — famous for his iconic shots of Black Flag, Minor Threat, Misfits, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys and more — appears to have shed light on the matter. In an instagram post, Friedman enthused of the August 11th RATM show he attended at New York's Madison Garden and put a name to de la Rocha's injury.
"I went to see my good friend Zack (with his torn ACL) perform last night at Madison Square Garden, one of the most hallowed venues in the modern world," the photographer wrote. "RATM sold out FIVE nights. Even having to sit during the performance Zack De La Rocha showed the world what they had been missing in all the years he had been away from this incredible group of musicians. Zack 'brought it' like few other ever have or ever could. Integrity, and heart, the touchstones of the most important and greatest."
For those unfamiliar with torn ACLs, the injury involves the full or partial tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee, and is a common sports injury, particularly, in basketball, football, soccer and skiing. It can be treated by both surgical and non-surgical methods, and usually requires up to nine months of recovery time following surgery.
There's no word on what specific treatment de la Rocha will be undertaking, but on August 11th, in the middle of their residency at MSG, RATM announced the cancellation of their 2022 U.K. and European tour dates due to "medical guidance." "Zack must return home to rest and rehabilitation," the band explained in a statement posted across their social media accounts. "We are so sorry to all of our fans who have waited years to see us and hope to Rage again soon."
