BBC Apologises After Rage Against The Machine Swears During Live Performance on 5Live
The BBC has issued an apology following an unexpected outburst during a live broadcast of Rage Against The Machine’s iconic song “Killing In The Name” on 5Live this morning (December 17). The band performed live via a link-up shortly before 9am (GMT), when frontman Zack De La Rocha repeatedly sang the infamous lyrics, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me,” before producers faded out the broadcast.
A BBC spokesperson quickly responded to the incident, explaining that the band had previously agreed not to swear during the performance. “We had spoken to the band repeatedly beforehand, and they had agreed not to swear. When they did, we faded the band out and said sorry immediately. We apologise again to anyone who was offended,” said the spokesperson in a statement, as reported by BBC News.
The unexpected broadcast stirred up conversation, particularly as guitarist Tom Morello took the opportunity during the interview to voice criticism of The X Factor and its creator, Simon Cowell. Morello slammed the show for “spoon-feeding people one schmaltzy ballad after another,” aligning his critique with the band’s anti-establishment ethos.
In response, Simon Cowell hit back at the ongoing campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s song to Christmas number one over The X Factor winner’s single, branding the effort as “stupid,” “cynical,” and “very Scrooge.”
The controversy has added fuel to the cultural debate over The X Factor‘s influence on British music. For more on this topic, including an exclusive interview with Simon Cowell, readers can check out the latest issue of NME on UK newsstands now.
Watch: Footage from the live broadcast and reactions are available on 5Live’s official channels.