RISE AGAINST's TIM MCILRATH Says METALLICA's 'Ride The Lightning' Was First Band T-Shirt He Ever Bought

At this weekend's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, RISE AGAINST vocalist and guitarist Tim McIlrath and co-founding bassist Joe Principe were asked by James Wilson-Taylor of U.K.'s Rock Sound to name the first band t-shirts they ever bought. Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I actually have it with me, 'cause I found it. It's METALLICA 'Ride The Lightning'. I bought it in a mall called Town And Country, from a store called Potpourri, which is mostly bongs and, like, Jimi Hendrix posters. And it was 1991, I think, and it still has the '91' on the tag… It might be the oldest piece of clothing that I own."

Tim continued: "I went to a Catholic school, so I wasn't allowed to wear it to school, except for one Thursday. Joe went to Catholic school too, so he knows. One Thursday a month we were able to wear shirts, and that was the shirt I wore to express myself, and it made the teachers very uncomfortable."

As for which band t-shirt he got first, Joe said: "Oh my God, my first band shirt was the CIRCLE JERKS 10th-anniversary tour. And that was the first shirt I bought. And I hid it from my mom, 'cause it said CIRCLE JERKS on it. So I would wear it. I literally would sneak out of my house, put it on when I was away from the house, go skateboarding, come back, and hide it. But she actually knew I had it, but she never said anything."

Tim chimed in: "Actually, wait. I'll say this, too, just thinking about our parents giving a shit. We just met Dave Ellefson from MEGADETH and METAL CHURCH backstage, and I told him, the first thing my parents ever took away from me was my MEGADETH 'Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?' cassette, which was — it's so satanic. It's almost designed to freak parents out. And I remember they confiscated that, 'cause they were so worried about me."

RISE AGAINST's first new album in four years, "Ricochet", came out in August 2025 via Loma Vista Recordings. The LP was produced by Grammy winner Catherine Marks (BOYGENIUS, FOALS, MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, ST. VINCENT) and mixed by Alan Moulder (NINE INCH NAILS, PARAMORE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE KILLERS).

RISE AGAINST's outspoken messages, bulletproof melodies and deep body of multi-gold and platinum hits have reached more fans than ever, uniting millions in a necessary embrace of vital, progressive issues. Whether they are singing about injustice, instability, environmentalism, animal rights or the way the social and economic decks have been stacked against the youth, the Chicago band continues to fill arenas, top charts, break records and earn billions of streams.