A woman throws knives at children. The footage is American, public domain, mid-century, and sits somewhere between an educational film and a sideshow reel. It plays inside the new video Raincheck! made for “We Ain’t Gonna Take It,” and the Lyon quartet’s drummer Alexandre Ayrault picked the sequence with his brother Val for one specific reason.
“We love the aesthetic of those vintage images, one sequence in particular really stayed with us: a woman throwing knives around children as part of what was apparently a sideshow act. That image — putting children’s lives at risk for the sake of entertainment — felt like a powerful metaphor for the world we’re living in today.”
It’s the band’s first music video. Frontman Romain Bouzgarrou wrote “We Ain’t Gonna Take It” as a direct response to the rise of authoritarianism, fascism, masculinism, and what he calls the wider normalization of might-makes-right politics. “We’re seeing increasingly radical rhetoric become mainstream, international relations grow more violent, and wars multiply, while even the most basic rules of international law are ignored — whether it’s humanitarian aid, press freedom, or the protection of civilians,” he says. “People’s rights, especially those of minorities, are being trampled by a handful of assholes who believe they have the right to decide the future for everyone else.”
He balances the indictment with what the song actually argues for. “Thankfully, all over the world, people are still taking to the streets, reclaiming public spaces, organizing, debating, and standing up for each other, despite increasingly harsh police repression. This song is about refusing to accept that reality and believing that collective action can still make a difference.”
The video came out of a familiar problem. “We didn’t want to put out just another performance clip,” the band explains. “These days, pretty much anyone has the tools to make a video, and social media is flooded with content that often feels pretty generic. We wanted to use this opportunity to actually say something.”
Ayrault and Val, credited as “the moron brothers” in the art direction, spent a lot of time digging through the Prelinger Archives, a public-domain collection of American commercials, educational films, documentaries, and propaganda reels. The cut they assembled rolls vintage footage against the song’s tempo without softening either side.
Inside the lyrics, Bouzgarrou names the people he’s actually addressing as “dishonest sadists in control.” The chorus comes back to one demand: “Something’s gotta change / We don’t care if it burns / Let the flames tear up until they get it right.” A directive follows: “Down to the streets, take a stand.”
“We Ain’t Gonna Take It” came out on February 21st, 2026, mixed and mastered by Ayrault, and it’s the first track to surface from sessions for what will be Raincheck!’s second LP. Their debut album, Highbro Lowbro, dropped in October 2024 on eight international labels: Engineer Records (Kent), Cat’s Claw Records (Bristol), Punk Rock Radar (New York), Dispear Records (Hossegor), Guerilla Asso (Paris), Histrion (Clermont-Ferrand), Highway Fifteen (Mannheim), and Melodic Punk Style (Poland).
Raincheck! formed in Lyon and are celebrating, in their own words, the band’s tenth anniversary this year. Ayrault came in on drums after a 2014 lineup change, bringing experience from Guerilla Poubelle, a band who would later show up in Raincheck!’s own shout-outs of recent tourmates. The current lineup settled when Jan Ledochowski took over bass duties, leaving Bouzgarrou on lead vocals and Julien Yeh on guitar. They’ve self-proclaimed a “neo-nü” identity, twisting their original No Idea Records / Jade Tree hardcore punk reflexes with slower tempos and stronger pop influences. They’ve shared stages with Lagwagon, Good Riddance, and Frenzal Rhomb.
Their releases run True Love (EP, 2016), Last Call (EP, 2020), and Highbro Lowbro (LP, 2024). The last one closes with a hidden bonus: a punk rock cover of the 1970s disco hit “Born To Be Alive.” Recording, mixing, and mastering on Highbro Lowbro was handled entirely in-house by Ayrault and the band, between January and March 2024. Artwork came from Visual Addiction.
Since Highbro Lowbro, the band has been moving steadily. Tours have included their first shows in Germany, and a long list of co-bills Bouzgarrou tracks gratefully: “Huge shout-out to Killing Daisies, Homeground, One Burning Match, Crusvaders, Not Scientists, Hell & Back, Verbal Razors, Full Full Full, Violent Sadie Mode, Foxhole, Big Time, Guerilla Poubelle, Malewickz, Ta Gueule, 10 Juin, Vegan Piranha, The Meffs, Nick Heyward… and so many others we’re probably forgetting!”
“Playing live is a huge part of who we are,” he adds. “It’s one of the things that matters most to us as a band, so I spend a lot of my time booking shows and putting tours together.”
July brings four confirmed dates. Le Zorba in Paris on the 2nd, Ferme du Temple in Osmoy-Saint-Valery on the 3rd, La Plage at the Île de Loisirs in Cergy Pontoise on the 4th, and a transatlantic jump to Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey on the 26th.
On July 24th, Raincheck! land on a four-LP international Green Day tribute compilation alongside Brutal Youth, Krang, Making Friends, and Miconduct, among others. The release is co-issued by Coffin Curse Records, Punk Rock Radar, Cats Claw Records, and High End Denim Records.
“We’ve always taken a very DIY approach,” Bouzgarrou says. “Today, we record all our own songs — in fact, ‘We Ain’t Gonna Take It’ comes from the first recording session for our new album. We also produce our own music videos (a second one is coming very soon!), organize our own tours, and, in the end, we’re really living our best life :)”
Second video drops July 1st.
🔔 IDIOTEQ is ad-free, independent, and runs on one person’s time. If you want it to stay that way: DONATE via PayPal 𝗈𝗋 SUPPORT via Patreon.
Stay connected via Newsletter · Instagram · Facebook · X (Twitter) · Threads · Bluesky · Messenger · WhatsApp.
