Political punk icons, ANTI-FLAG, are releasing their new album, 20/20 Vision, next Friday, January 17th, on Spinefarm Records, and today they’ve shared one more preview with their biting new single “The Disease.” The track finds the long-running band at their best, seamlessly merging the energy and passion of their music with uncompromising sociopolitical commentary. The song’s accompanying music video highlights the dystopian unease and paranoia lurking beneath the surface of modern culture.
For over two decades Anti-Flag have been at the forefront of socially conscious punk rock, tirelessly releasing music, touring, organizing, and introducing generations of fans to progressivism through fiery protest songs. With 20/20 Vision the Pittsburgh, PA based band prove that they have plenty of vitriol left, aiming to face the challenges of our chaotic sociopolitical times head on. The band pull no punches lyrically, immediately drawing a line in the sand against the fascistic hate mongering of the Trump administration and making it clear that 20/20 Vision is an album intended to explicitly address the here and now.
Anti-Flag bassist/vocalist Chris#2 explained the new song, saying:
“‘The Disease’ is an interesting song for us lyrically. We’re actively trying to use verbiage and the language of the powerful to describe our commonality. Our usual approach would have us calling out social inequity in our own terms, but for this song we chose to take ownership of their words.
In a moment of the largest wealth divide in history, these people do see the poor as a disease, a plague on their society. The neoliberalism and globalization that has led us here is causing people to see their neighbors, immigrants, refugees as their enemies and has propped up false populists to power. Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, the AFD, these people are not anti-establishment, they’re millionaires and billionaires who have so little in common with real people.
As we face another chapter in the endless war, politicians send the poor, young men and women to fight, kill, and die as cannon fodder for their war based economies. This song is a call to have soldiers all over the globe, lay down their weapons. Refuse to fight in unjust wars for corporate greed. To see that at this moment we have far more in common with the people of Iran than we do the perpetrators of the propaganda that they are our enemies.
‘We are the roll call, of the pursuit.'”
Anti-Flag will be touring worldwide throughout 2020. The band’s busy schedule includes lengthy runs in the UK, Europe, and North American, see full itinerary below.
01/10 Vitoria, ES @ Kubik +
01/11 Zaragoza, ES @ Sala López +
01/12 Barcelona, ES @ Estraperlo +
01/14 Milano, IT @ HT Factory +
01/16 Zurich, CH @ Dynamo #
01/17 Graz, AT @ PPC #
01/18 Vienna, AT @ Flex #
01/19 Prague, CZ @ Roxy #
01/21 Berlin, DE @ SO36 $
01/22 Munich, DE @ Backstage Werk $
01/23 Nuremberg, DE @ Löwensaal $
01/24 Chemnitz, DE @ Talschock $
01/26 Warsaw, PL @ Proxima $
01/28 Hamburg, DE @ Fabrik $
01/29 Köln, DE @ Essigfabrik $
01/30 Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat $
02/01 Bucharest, RO @ Quantic Club
02/02 Brighton, UK @ Chalk !
02/04 London, UK @ O2 Academy Islington !
02/05 Manchester, UK @ Club Academy !
02/06 Birmingham, UK @ The Mill !
02/07 Glasgow, UK @ The Garage !
02/08 Leeds, UK @ The Key Club !
02/09 Cardiff, UK @ The Globe !
03/11 Ottawa, ON @The 27 Club *
03/12 Montreal, QC @ L’Astral *
03/13 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
03/15 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
03/17 Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents *
03/18 Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom *
03/19 Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry *
03/20 College Park, MD @ MilkBoy ArtHouse *
03/22 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade @ Purgatory *
03/24 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In *
03/26 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
03/27 Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room *
03/28 Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre *
05/02 Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter Fest 2020
05/03 Columbus, OH @ A&R Bar ^
05/05 Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground ^
05/06 Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme ^
05/08 St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar and Hall ^
05/10 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre ^
05/12 Dallas, TX @ Dada ^
05/13 Austin, TX @ Barracuda ^
05/14 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace ^
05/20 Oakland, CA @ New Parish ^
05/21 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Atrium at The Catalyst ^
05/22-25 Las Vegas, NV @ Punks In Vegas
05/27 Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver ^
05/28 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre ^
05/29 Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall ^
05/30 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ^+ w/ Dream Nails and The Homeless Gospel Choir
# w/ ZSK and The Homeless Gospel Choir
$ w/ The Creepshow and The Homeless Gospel Choir
! w/ The Creepshow and Maid of Ace
* w/ Grade 2 and Doll Skin
^ w/ Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Grumpster
