Tom Morello Explains the Clever Way RATM Dealt with Ticketmaster’s Dynamic Pricing

Tom Morello is well aware of the ongoing controversy around Ticketmaster and their use of dynamic pricing. In fact, Rage Against The Machine utilized dynamic pricing for their recent tour, but they managed to do some good in the process.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Morello touched on the ticket prices for Rage's recent tour. (The tour was unfortunately cut short due to Zack de la Rocha sustaining a severe tear in his left Achilles tendon.) Morello called dynamic pricing an "awful idea." He added, "Just to reiterate, every ticket for the show was $125 with the exception of about five to ten percent of tickets, which we did the dynamic ticket prices with, and gave away every cent."

In other words: Rage used dynamic pricing to fundraise for local community groups. A breakdown of money raised and which groups benefitted can be viewed below.

"There was a total of about six or seven million raised on that tour in what was basically a Robin Hood tactic," said Morello. "I wanted to say those things out loud since there was a lot of misinformation in the world about those two things."

As for the future of Rage, Morello was peppered with questions to try and get some sort of answer. However, the guitarist didn't budge. For now, the band is in a sort of limbo situation. In summation, he said, " ... When Rage Against the Machine is going to tour or break up or hold a seance on the 'Joe Rogan Show,' you’ll hear it from Rage Against the Machine. Until such a time, there is not news."

Rage Against the Machine has been raising money for charity throughout the first leg of their reunion tour. The tentative totals are in, and they are really incredible.

The band wrapped the first leg of their tour with a five-night stand at Madison Square Garden where they raised $1 million. When Rage first announced their tour, they mentioned, "Through ticketing, volunteering and band donations, Rage Against the Machine will be working with multiple charities and activist organizations throughout the tour."

Scroll below to see how much Rage raised at their tour stops so far.

Rage played five nights at New York's Madison Square Garden and raised $1 million to be distributed to Immigrant Defense Project, Neighbors Together and NYC's The Campaign Against Hunger.

Rage played two shows at Washington D.C.'s Capital One Arena raising $346,000 to be distributed to Detention Watch Network and the Black Dirt Farm Collective.

Rage played one show at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC raising $280,125 for the Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network.

Rage played one show at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA raising $167,000 for the Abolitionist Law Center and the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners of Pittsburgh.

Rage played one show at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland raising $114,050 for the Rid All Green Partnership.

Rage played one show at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY raising $58,500 for the Buffalo Food Equity Network.

Rage played two shows at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto raising $182,670 for FoodShare and Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

Rage played one show at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario raising $75,000 for the Roots of Justice and Indigenous Climate Action.

Rage played one night at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI and two nights at the United Center in Chicago raising a combined $475,000. These shows took place just before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. As a result, the money was donated to a variety of reproductive rights organizations in Wisconsin and Illinois.