Canadian radio station plays Rage Against the Machine on a loop

‘I won’t do what you tell me!’: Canadian radio station plays Rage Against the Machine on a loop for TWO DAYS after it lays off its morning co-hosts

• KISS FM Vancouver announced Tuesday that two of their top anchors – Kevin and Sonia – were playing their last show at the soft-rock station 
• Ever since, the station has begun playing the California band’s 1992 hit ‘Killing in the Name’ on a continuous loop 
• As of Thursday morning, the anti-police single from the band’s debut, self-titled record was still playing 
• However, at around 6 a.m. local time, listeners noted that the stunt had finally ended, with the new station playing Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘No One Knows’
• The website for the station’s new ‘Sonic Radio’ format promotes alternative music versus the soft rock KISS FM played

The music of Rage Against the Machine has rattled through the speakers of a Vancouver radio station for over two days at this point in a stunt that has even diehards of the 90s rap-rock kings confused.

KISS FM Vancouver announced Tuesday that two of their top anchors – Kevin and Sonia – were playing their last show at the soft-rock station.

Ever since, the station has begun playing the California band’s 1992 hit ‘Killing in the Name’ on a continuous loop, albeit with edits muting the song’s most famous refrain of ‘f**k you, I won’t do what you tell me!’

As of Thursday morning, the anti-police single from the band’s debut, self-titled record was still playing, albeit now under the brand of ‘Sonic Radio: The New Alternative.’

However, at around 6 a.m. local time, listeners noted that the stunt had finally ended, with the new station playing Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘No One Knows.’

That would seem to suggest the move is less a middle finger to the station’s bosses and more a stunt to promote the station’s change in formats.  

The music of Rage Against the Machine has rattled through the speakers of a Vancouver radio station for over two days at this point in a stunt that has even diehards of the 90s rap-rock kings confused

KISS FM Vancouver announced Tuesday that two of their top anchors – Kevin and Sonia – were playing their last show at the soft-rock station

As of Thursday morning, the anti-police single from the band’s debut, self-titled record was still playing, albeit now under the brand of ‘ Sonic Radio: The New Alternative .’

Indeed, some saw it as a potential protest against layoffs and cutbacks by parent company Rogers, while others speculated a format change.  

But the fired hosts wrote about the change on their Facebook page: ‘KiSS is changing and unfortunately we were informed that we won’t be part of this new chapter,’ write the hosts in a Facebook post. ‘We are so incredibly thankful for everyone who shared their mornings with us and invited us into their lives through the radio and our podcast. We’ve never taken you for granted.’ 

According to Vancouver is Awesome, the station finished 12th out of 19 in the most recent ratings figures released. 

A person who only went by the name ‘Apollo’ told The Guardian that they weren’t answering questions about the stunt. 

‘I’m not allowed to say. I’m just a guy in a booth, just letting the Rage play over and over,’ said Apollo. ‘What do you think? Do you like it?’

Zack de la Rocha, Tim Commerford, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine perform on stage in Finsbury Park on June 6, 2010

The website for the new Sonic Radio promotes alternative music, as well as an article listing the station’s ‘favourite Alt Canadian Tracks’ for Canada Day

On Wednesday, a day into the prank, the station began to take callers requesting anything other than ‘Killing in the Name.’

However, the station only continued to play the leftist rockers’ song again and again. 

The website for KISS FM now says the following: ‘Thank you for listening to KiSS RADiO in Vancouver & The Valley. This KiSS is saying goodbye but you can still listen to the KiSS Radio in Edmonton, Ottawa, and Toronto on their websites or on your smart speaker devices.’

The website for the new Sonic Radio promotes alternative music, as well as an article listing the station’s ‘favourite Alt Canadian Tracks’ for Canada Day. 

‘Hi! We’re SONiC, the New Alternative from Chilliwack to Vancouver and everywhere in between. If you like Weezer, Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire, Metric, Foo Fighters, Green Day and more!? We’ll get along great.’

The stunt has gone viral, with even Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello taking notice, retweeting a listener who informed him about the effort.

‘Killing in the Name’ has often taken on a life of its own from its origins as RATM’s breakout single and a protest against police brutality. 

In 2009, British listeners bought a half million copies of the song to make it the UK’s Christmas number one single, topping a star from Simon Cowell’s powerful X Factor.

The band responded by performing a free concert at London’s Finsbury Park. 

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