Audioslave First American Rock Band to Play Cuba

Audioslave First American Rock Band to Play Cuba

60,000 Turn Out for Historic Event

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- About 60,000 rock-starved fans cheered, cried and sang along as Audioslave made history Friday, May 6, becoming the first American rock group to play Cuba. Audioslave attracted the largest crowd to attend a concert by an American artist in the communist country's history.

"There's been an embargo against rock and roll for too long," Tom Morello told MTV News' John Norris, "and at least that embargo is coming to an end."

Fans wearing Audioslave t-shirts and those of other American rock bands were among the enormous crowd at the free outdoor concert at Havana's La Tribuna Antimperialista Jose Marti. The masses chanted the band's name as they came on stage and a mosh pit quickly formed. Thousands of fans, some waving flags, even an American one, jumped up and down in unison as the band rocked on. The nearly two-and-a-half hour concert of 26 songs was the longest of Audioslave's career. The set included several Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden songs alongside Audioslave favorites and tracks from the band's forthcoming second album, Out Of Exile, set for release on May 24, 2005. It was undoubtedly the loudest Havana has ever heard.

Playing in Cuba had been a longtime dream for singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. The trip was authorized by the United States Treasury Department and The Instituto Cubano de la Musica as part of a music educational exchange. A camera crew captured the band's set as well as its visits to historic sites around the city and the footage is expected to comprise a future DVD.

In Spanish, Morello told the overflowing stadium sized crowd, "Thanks for the warm welcome. We are happy to be here." Later, when the band played the Rage classic "Killing In The Name," Cornell turned the mic toward the fans, who screamed the lyric, "F--- you/I won't do what you tell me." After the final tune, Cornell told the crowd in English, "We hope we come back very soon."

60,000 young Cuban rock fans will be waiting.

Source: Interscope Records

CONTACT: Dennis Dennehy of Interscope Records, +1-310-865-7934

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