Tom Morello, guitarist, songwriter political activist and member of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave spoke during the Hellfest press conference in Clisson, France. According to BlabberMouth, at the conference, Morello spoke about his career making music and making a difference in the world for others. Throughout his career, Morello has shared that social change has been the main motivation behind the music he creates. Morello even won the 2024 Woody Guthrie Prize for his contributions to music and activism.

BlabberMouth  goes on to transcribe what was said by Morello at the Hellfest conference:

“Across 21 records, there’s really one message that is a thread through all of my music, and that is that the world is not going to change itself. That is up to you. And by you, I literally mean you — the people watching on your thing and your thing; that’s how the world changes. And sometimes it seems like this sort of monolithic problem that we’ll never be able to get past and the world cannot be changed or the worst people are the ones in charge, and they often are. But you are not witnesses to history; you are agents of history. History is not something that happened; it’s something you make. Whenever there has been a progressive radical, even revolutionary positive change for the better, it’s come from people who are no different than anyone in this room or any of the audiences that you’re writing for or that your videos are for. Once you have that realization that you do have your hands on the wheel of history and of this planet, and if you wanna make it a more peaceful, a more just, a more equitable, a more anti-racist, a more environmentally sound place, there’s no one to blame if it doesn’t happen but you for not standing up…At any given historical moment, you stand in the place where you live and you stand in the place where you were,” he explained. “That’s it. So some people are, like, ‘You guys made RAGE records 30 years ago, and now look at the horrible state of the world.’ Imagine what it would be like if we didn’t make RAGE records 30 years ago. At every moment, you do what you can, when you can, where you can. That’s the way that I look at it. And the arc of history is a long one, and there are very, very challenging times now certainly in my country, and I know here as well. And in part, literally the fate of the planet is at stake over the course of the next few decades. So it’s time for metalheads to get their shit together.”

Morello also shared that he finds everything going on in the world, such as the situation in Gaza and climate change, to be overwhelming. Morello is determined to meaningful music that reflects the political climate of our world. He wants his messages to touch people and encourage social/political change.

When a reporter suggested there was no hope for humanity and change in the world, Morello disagreed. BlabberMouth shares that Morello responded by saying “…the one option that I might suggest is to not be so wrapped up in being pure that it stops you from acting. If you drink a Pepsi, you’re not going to hell because you’ve supported some corporation. What is important to do, change comes from below — real meaningful change comes from below.”

Morello isn’t losing hope in brighter days, as he recounts that social change has been made by people throughout history. He placed heavy emphasis on the power of the people throughout the conference. He made an effort to encourage and inspire fans to advocate for change however they can by saying, “This is a dire historical moment, but it is not a unique historical moment. And the way I look at it, I’m stuck being a guitar player. I’m cursed. It’s my calling. I didn’t choose it; it chose me. So now I’ve gotta find some way to win to bend this weird hobby that I picked up as a teenager and try to change the fucking world with it. And it’s not easy, but wherever you are and whatever your job is, whatever your life is, whether it’s standing up to illegitimate authority in your home, your place of work, your school, your country, or whatever, like I said before, history is not something that happens. It’s something that we make. So I would encourage you and your listeners, or whatever, to not despair — to act.”

Watch the full Hellfest conference with Morello:

Photo Credits: Conny Chavez