Synopsis

Rancid perform their punk-ska interpretation of Jimmy Cliff's reggae classic onstage at the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York. The video captures the band in a direct, energetic live setting, cutting between performance close-ups, musicians working through the song, and wide views of the festival crowd. Rather than constructing a separate narrative, it emphasizes the urgency of the performance and the communal atmosphere of a large benefit concert.

Factoids & Trivia

• Rancid's version is a cover of Jimmy Cliff's title song from the 1972 Jamaican film and soundtrack The Harder They Come.

• The performance was recorded at the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert, a two-day benefit event held at Downing Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City.

• The song was included on the Tibetan Freedom Concert live compilation, released in November 1997. The same performance also became the basis for Rancid's music video.

• The 1997 concert brought Rancid together with artists including the Beastie Boys, Bjork, Blur, Radiohead, Pavement, Patti Smith, R.E.M. members Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, and Taj Mahal.

• The video stands apart from Rancid's more heavily staged narrative clips because it functions primarily as a document of the band's live performance and the festival's political setting.

• Rancid have played "The Harder They Come" only occasionally in concert, making the Tibetan Freedom Concert performance one of the song's more notable appearances in the band's live history.