A recent documentary, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, aired on January 27th, uncovering a dramatic incident involving Rage Against the Machine during their 1996 Saturday Night Live performance. The band, known for their rebellious activism, faced unexpected consequences after their appearance.
On April 13th, 1996, Rage Against the Machine performed ‘Bulls on Parade’ with upside-down American flags on their amps—a bold political statement. However, the flags were removed by the SNL crew before the show. The band was also denied the chance to perform their second song, ‘Bullet in the Head,’ and was never invited back. Guitarist Tom Morello shared the full story in the documentary.
Morello explained that after being told their second song was cut, bassist Tim Commerford reacted by tearing up an American flag, knotting it into a ball, and hurling it into the dressing room of Steve Forbes, a presidential candidate at the time. Forbes wasn’t present, but his family was. The flag ball harmlessly disintegrated mid-air, causing no injury. However, the Secret Service quickly intervened, locking the band in their dressing room for safety reasons.
“The hallway flooded with Secret Service agents,” Morello recalled. “We were escorted out of the building and left on the sidewalk at 30 Rock.” The band was notably absent from the show’s farewell segment, though Morello humorously added that he still attended the afterparty.
Rage Against the Machine was no stranger to controversy during their 1991-2000 run. They famously shut down Wall Street while filming a music video and protested the PMRC by performing naked at Lollapalooza in 1993.
The documentary, co-directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, also features interviews with music icons like Dave Grohl, Mick Jagger, Olivia Rodrigo, and Paul Simon, celebrating 50 years of musical moments on SNL.
