TENANTS union Acorn will perform with former Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello in Manchester tomorrow night after a successful performance in Bristol.

A group of 16 activists from the Bristol branch of the union — who had never sung together before — provided backing vocals for its song “Killing in the Name” in front of 25,000 people at Ashton Gate during a concert headed by Muse on Wednesday night.

Mr Morello is inviting local activists to join him on stage while on tour to form “Tom Morello’s Freedom Choir.” Sixteen Acorn members from Manchester will be up on stage tomorrow night.

Acorn chief organiser Nick Ballard told the Star the experience was “amazing” and that activists were “still over the moon.”

He said it was a “huge honour” for Acorn to provide backing vocals to “a legendary guitarist” whose “political work over decades has been inspirational.”

“I can say without fear of exaggeration that Rage Against the Machine were formative influences on many of us and provided a vital entry point into radical grassroots politics, and the idea that ordinary people could and should take control of our own lives,” Mr Ballard said.

“The exposure that Tom provides to organisations like ours is incredible and it’s great to see that someone as personally successful as he is staying true to the principles of solidarity and mutual aid,” he added.

Mr Ballard said the performer urges the audience to take action and get active with the union.

“This isn’t for laughs or a bit of fun pretending to be a rock star for an evening. This is real life. This is about the radical transformation of society for the benefit of the many and the struggle it takes to do that,” Mr Ballard said.

Acorn member and regional branch secretary Esme Roslin, who was one of the activists on stage, told the Star they were “really shocked” to be invited.

She said: “It was nice to go backstage. Tom Morello gave us a thank you for all our grassroots work we are doing. It’s nice to get that kind of support from somebody in that world.

“We had no experience in singing and we were all quite terrified. But it was such a great opportunity for Acorn. We had new members signing up after the performance and received great support from the crowd.”