RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE have apologised to fans after users of NAPSTER downloading tracks from new album ‘RENEGADES’ were thrown off the file-sharing service.
Posting a message on the band’s official bulletin board, guitarist Tom Morello states that the decision to kick users off had nothing to do with the members of the band.
He said: “Rage Against the Machine would like to sincerely apologise to all of our fans who were kicked off of Napster for downloading ‘Renegades’. The move to take action against Rage fans was taken completely unilaterally by our new management. In their zeal to keep the record from getting out before the release date, they did not consult the band before instructing Sony Music Corp. to institute the Napster ban. As soon as I was made aware of this horrible mistake on their part, I immediately phoned our management and the record company to see what we could do to get our Napster-using fans reinstated as soon as possible. I’m told that the easiest way to get back on Napster as quickly as possible is to download one of many files floating around on the Internet to get around the ban.”
He also insisted that Rage had taken steps to make sure the situation goes no further. “Per my instructions, no further notices will be sent out, and again, I apologise for this undermining of your right to hear our music. In the future we will be more vigilant about this matter.”
Rage Against the Machine share their management team Q Prime with Metallica. Defiantly anti-Napster, Lars Ulrich succeeded in implementing a similar ban on Napster users who had downloaded Metallica tracks.