Rage Against The Machine swear on 5 live
December 17, 2009
The BBC has apologised after Radio 5 live listeners heard Rage Against the Machine swearing in a live performance of their song Killing In The Name.
Zack de la Rocha, the US band’s singer, was heard swearing four times on the station’s breakfast show.
The band are hoping the 1992 hit will beat X Factor winner Joe McElderry to this year’s Christmas number one.
A BBC spokesman said: “We had spoken to the band repeatedly beforehand and they had agreed not to swear.”
He added: “When they did, we faded the band out and apologised immediately to anyone who was offended.”
‘Landmark moment’
The band were interviewed in a live link-up with the US on Friday morning, before performing the song.
As the song was abruptly faded out during the controversial closing bars of the song, listeners heard presenter Shelagh Fogarty say, “get rid of it”.
She added: “Sorry. We needed to get rid of that because that suddenly turned in to something we were not expecting.
McElderry signed CDs in his home town of South Shields on Wednesday
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“Well, we were expecting it and asked them not to do it and they did it anyway - so buy Joe’s record.”
Rage Against The Machine’s 90s hit is in the running for the Christmas number one after a group was set up on website Facebook urging people to buy it.
The group was set up in protest at the dominance of the X Factor winners’ singles in the Christmas charts in recent years.
Most bookmakers have now suspended betting on the race for the number one slot on Sunday night.
On Wednesday night, before Ladbrokes suspended betting, it had made Rage Against The Machine the favourite to take the top spot
Spokesman Nick Weinberg said McElderry’s “loss of favouritism” was “a landmark moment in Christmas number one betting”.
“It was inconceivable just a few days ago, but the gamble on Rage Against The Machine has taken us completely by surprise.”
McElderry, 18, won the X Factor on Sunday night beating Olly Murs with almost two-thirds of the votes.
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