Tom Morello: I've wanted to travel to India my whole life

American guitarist Tom Morello doesnt need an introduction for many rock fans not only around the world but also in India This is because he is a legend synonymous with some of the most addictive rock riffs and tunes for many Indians who have grown up listening to Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave among his other bands and solo acts Itrsquos this fandom that has led the Grammy Awardwinning musician to make his way to India this December for the very first timeHe explains Im very excited to come to India Itrsquos really a dream come true I wanted to travel to India my whole life and to be able to not only travel to India but to play shows for fans there who have been waiting a very very long time is so excitingMorello is on a threecity tour with performances in Gurugram on December 17 at HUDA Gymkhana Mumbai on December 19 at MMRDA Grounds and Bengaluru on December 21 at Phoenix Marketcity Whitefield The tour is the first in a series of rock music live shows for Bandland On Tour an extension of Bandland the rock and alternative music festival helmed by BookMyShow Live in India coming at a time when there are so many different kinds of music festivals mushrooming in the countryEvolution of rock musicHe adds Ive been hearing from Rage Against the Machine fans Audioslave fans Prophets of Rage fans even Bruce Springsteen fans and fans of my solo work in guitar playing for decades and now to be able to go there and to play Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave music to play my guitar to the absolute best of my ability for fans who have been waiting so long is really a dream come trueRock music has evolved a lot since Morello started out over four decades ago but the guitarist isnt thinking about the larger picture at all because he loves spending time in his own zone and growing as an artist I pay less attention to how rock music has evolved generally and really only focused on how my music is evolving from Rage Against The Machine to Audio Slave the more melodic music of Audio Slave to my solo work which includes folk music working with EDM artists working with Bruce Springsteen it has really been a journey During this time Morello says hes made 22 albums and very much looks forward to playing music from throughout that career when Im in IndiaThis very lifelong experiment with music has led him to learn a lot from all the bands and musicians he has played with He shares Theres a lot you learn from each group of musicians that you perform with band chemistry is what makes a band great each person making a contribution but the collective outcome is something that none of you could have created alone So in Rage Against The Machine it was the anger the aggression the political urgency With Audio Slave it was deep poetic lyrics the melodicism of Chris Cornells incredible voice matched with an expanded musical palette but also rocking very hard with my solo stuff as an artist is able to explore purity of artistic vision unblemished by other peoples opinions and I greatly enjoyed that as well So in some ways I think Ive had the best of both worldsSocial activism and India visitOver the years Morello hasnt only been a musician because he has also been very vocal as a social activist about many issues including the more recent IsraelGaza conflict but it feels like its in his nature because of how passionate he is about activism At a time when people with influence and power arent vocal for their own reasons ask him what role musicians play in speaking up about sociopolitical issues and he is quick to say I wouldnt limit it to musicians I think that each of us has a responsibility to be who we are in what we do So as a musician I make albums I give interviews I have Tshirt designs I play shows and in those things its important to me to express my opinions I think its no less important for a music journalist or a carpenter or a student in whatever it is that they do to not leave behind who they areEven as he brings this very energy through his music a visit here is going to be a lot more he says Im bringing my family and cannot wait Itrsquos a place that Ive always dreamed of visiting So Im looking forward to hearing more Indian music and of course visiting the Taj Mahal which Ive seen since I was a tiny child as one of the great wonders of the world Im also excited to experience the different cultures and different foods in different parts of India that were travelling to and most of all experience what itrsquos to play in front of fans he concludes