Rage Tour Regroups -- Even Without Wu-Tang, Concert Should Be Dynamic

----------------------------------------------------------------- Concert preview

Rage Against the Machine, the Roots and Atari Teenage Riot, 7 p.m. tomorrow, Gorge Amphitheatre, George, Grant County; $23.10, 206-628-0888. -----------------------------------------------------------------

It probably looked like a good idea on paper. But for anyone who knew the philosophic ideals of rock revolutionaries Rage Against the Machine and the large and livin' larger rap group the Wu-Tang Clan, the pairing of the two bands had to feel, at least in the gut, like something that was never going to happen.

As many expected, Wu-Tang did indeed decide to drop out of the tour Sept. 1, because of "internal problems." But their departure was overshadowed when Grant County Sheriff Bill Wiester sought to have the entire show banned, citing public safety and traffic concerns. Superior Court Judge Ken Jorgensen yesterday ruled against the proposed ban and the show will go on as scheduled tomorrow.

For Rage, the legal action was business as usual. Attempts were made to stop the band from playing in Boise and Salt Lake City last year. Trouble tails RATM with or without the improbable Wu.

In a recent Rolling Stone cover story, Rage vocalist Zack De La Rocha was asked how his band - politically astute, Marxist/Lenin-influenced and openly supportive of leftist causes - could reconcile sharing a stage with the more internalized, capitalistic and sometimes misogynistic Wu-Tang Clan. De La Rocha, a rap vocalist himself, expressed his admiration for Wu-Tang's artistry and courage, but also said they were hoping to create a consciousness-raising dialogue with the band.

In the same piece, Rage guitarist Tommy Morello was quoted as saying: "We don't have an ideological litmus test you have to pass to share the stage with Rage; there are few groups filled with saints. Wu-Tang makes a lot of great music, but the misogynous content is something we're not into at all. It ruffles the Alan Alda side of my personality, but I'm not going to call off the tour."

But even if you're not saints, you still have to show up. Although the tour seemed to begin well enough at the beginning of August, before the month was over, Wu-Tang was out. They told Rage they would not perform Aug. 29 in Chicago, then did not show up at all for the performance Sept. 1 in Kansas City, Mo. On Sept. 2, according to the official press release, Wu-Tang told Rage that "because of internal conflicts the band would not continue with the tour." That includes the performance at the Gorge Amphitheatre tomorrow night.

Wu-Tang Clan did, however, appear as presenters on last Thursday's broadcast of the MTV Video Music Awards. After the show, the Clan was asked what happened to the tour.

Producer, writer and de facto leader RZA told MTV's John Larch, "We got some things we got to settle among ourselves. If things change maybe we can join back on." The Clan's Ghost Face Killah said: "We gotta make sure our foundation is secure first before we do anything else. We got to get back to the essence."

Rage Against the Machine could not be reached for comment, but there has been no delay in the tour. Taking over for the Clan in some markets, including tomorrow at the Gorge, will be the Philadelphia rap group the Roots. Unlike Wu-Tang, whose nine members rapped to prerecorded tracks on tour, the Roots perform with a band, and their live shows are considered one of the best in rap.

In other cities on the tour, the Foo Fighters will replace Wu-Tang. Atari Teenage Riot, an electronic, beat-heavy, anti-fascist act out of Berlin, will continue to be the opening act for the remaining half-dozen shows.

Even without Wu-Tang, this should be a dynamic show. De la Rocha is a demon-possessed performer, Tommy Morello plays an intelligent hybrid of punk and speed metal, while bassist Timmy C. and drummer Brad Wilk are a driven rhythm section.

De la Rocha told Rolling Stone that he hoped his band and the Clan would attract a white middle-class audience, and that the tour would incorporate "everything the rich, wealthy classes in America fear and despise." As described by The New York Times, the Aug. 22 New Jersey show drew about 20,000 fans, a crowd that was "bare-torsoed and nearly totally white and male, (running) around like entitled buffalo."

Sounds like the crowd was really ready for the revolution.