Live Performances
The song was performed as an extended instrumental at their first public performance at Cal State in the Quad, on October 23, 1991.
Bassist Tim Commerford is known to chant the backing vocals of "now you do what they told ya" of the chorus during most live performances.
Zack de la Rocha sometimes changes the lyrics in the second verse from "Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses" to "Some of those that burn crosses are the same that hold office" when playing live.
As part of supergroup Audioslave, guitarist Tom Morello incorporated instrumentals from Rage Against the Machine and cover versions of Killing in the Name into their performances.
Rage Against the Machine performed the song live in 1999 at the Woodstock '99 festival, burning the American flag during the song. In this performance Zack changed the lyrics to "Some of those that burn crosses are the same that burn churches".
Read more about this topic: Killing In The Name
Famous quotes containing the words live and/or performances:
“How vigilant we are! determined not to live by faith if we can avoid it; all the day long on the alert, at night we unwillingly say our prayers and commit ourselves to uncertainties. So thoroughly and sincerely are we compelled to live, reverencing our life, and denying the possibility of change. This is the only way, we say; but there are as many ways as there can be drawn radii from one centre. All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“This play holds the season’s record [for early closing], thus far, with a run of four evening performances and one matinee. By an odd coincidence it ran just five performances too many.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)