Anti-Flag is:
Justin Sane - Vocals, Guitar
Anti-Flag started out in 1988 in the small town of Glenshaw, PA. Justin and Pat, who didn’t have much musical talent at that point, got together anyway and started a band. Justin’s sister, Lucy Fester, sang, and they had numerous bassists. AF played one gig at a church hall and then called it quits.
In 1993, Pat and Justin drove to San Francisco for a change of scenery. Justin met Andy, another punk, in his church youth group. As it turned out, Andy could play bass, so Justin was determined to start a serious band. Andy adopted the surname Flag to go along with the band name. They returned to Pennsylvania, practiced a lot, and got a gig on the local radio station , WRCT. The band decided to use the name Anti-Flag once again.
AF played numerous local shows over the next couple of years, and did some out-of-town gigs thanks to their friend Anne and her van. They also got help from other local bands, like Submachine, who had already done national tours. Anti-Flag finally booked a national tour in the summer of 1995. Andy’s father donated a brand new van to the band. On the tour, Andy and Justin ended up fighting a lot, and their friendship never recovered.
Anti-Flag did a two week tour in the spring of ’96 to support their debut album "Die For The Government", after which Andy quit the band. He’d been fighting with both Justin and Pat, and was fed up. Justin says that the band had lost sight of what was really important to them, having fun. However, these days the three guys are friends again.
The band had a number of bassists for the next year, and then at the end of 1997 they met Chris Head. He played a few shows with them and the band felt that he fit right in. However, Chris was truly a guitarist, not a bassist, by title. Still, the band liked him so much that they decided to keep him on as second guitarist. On bass, they brought in Jamie Cock, a fan and friend of the band, for their tour with the UK Subs.
After the tour the band recorded their second album, "Their System Doesn’t Work For You". They hit it big with punks around the continent with songs like "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!" and the title track. More touring brought a bigger fanbase, and in 1999 AF recorded their junior effort, "A New Kind Of Army". The album asks the youth of the world to be smarter and less violent than generations before ("We’re looking to start a new kind of army, that’s too smart to fight, too smart to die"). Anti-Flag did a world tour and played the 2000 Vans Warped Tour in support of the album.
As always, Anti-Flag stands strongly by their straight edge ethics. They have a positive outlook on the youth of the world, unlike most adults. They believe that the future of this planet is in good hands.
Pat Thetic - Drums
Chris Head - Guitar
Chris #2 - Bass
1996 - Die For The Government
1998 - Their System Doesn’t Work For You
1999 - A New Kind Of Army
2001 - The Underground Network
--- Anti-Flag’s debut album was a great representation of their talent. It included the title track, which remains a classic, as well as "Fuck Police Brutality" and "Davey Destroyed The Punk Scene".
--- Once again, an amazing display of raw punk talent. It includes "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!", the title song, and "Born To Die".
--- Anti-Flag’s highly anticipated third album did not disappoint. It has the title song, as well as "Captain Anarchy" and "Police Story".
--- The band has a success once again with Underground Network. They've definetely matured musically, and their songs still have tht fast-paced edge as always... best songs include "Daddy Warbux" and "Angry, Young, and Poor".
Anti-Flag put out a 4 song 7" called "Kill, Kill, Kill" in 1993. It was their first true recording.
The band recorded a 10 song live tape titled "Rotate" in 1995. It reflected their relentless toruing schedule.
Anti-Flag is no stranger to doing splits. They’ve shared records with the likes of Against All Authority, DBS, The Bad Genes, God Squad, The Obnoxious, and Dread.
Buy Anti-Flag CDs