Artist:
ANTI-FLAG
Label:
SIDE ONE DUMMY RECORDS
Video:
“THE ECONOMY IS SUFFERING (LET IT DIE)”
Directors:
Nikolaus Kueng & Christian Gstoettner
Add Date:
January 25, 2010

Howdy friends, it’s Andy Gesner and the staff from HIP Video Promo, here the with blistering followup to Anti-Flag’s incendiary “When The Lights Go Out”. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, folks: America starts the year in a financial mess. Discontent is general across the country. And while the powers that be assure us that the only way to right the ship is to bail out banks and other industries, it’s safe to say that not everybody’s convinced. The members of Anti-Flag see the bailouts as, at best, unfair, and at worst a massive swindle — and they’ve been speaking out against the policy ever since the release of The People Or The Gun, their latest set of bristling, insanely-catchy punk rock. In fact, if you’re looking for the most articulate and consistent opponents of the bailout bills, don’t waste your time on Capitol Hill. Start in working-class Pittsburgh with this quartet of musical agitators.

The songs on the formidably-intelligent The People Or The Gunconfront the social and political dimensions of the economic crisis head on: “When All The Lights Go Out” chronicles a workers’ insurrection, “Independence Day” takes on the military-industrial complex and the legacy of Henry Kissinger, “The Gre(A)t Depression” quotes progressive heroes Joe Strummer and Woody Guthrie. There’s even a stinging (and hilarious) “anti-ringtone” appropriately called “You Are Fired”. But “The Economy Is Suffering (Let It Die)” is the focus and centerpiece of the set. Its confrontational title resuscitates a slogan used to great effect during the French student protests of 1968, and it’s clear that the members of Anti-Flag have their eyes on starting an establishment-shaking insurrection of their own. “Where are all the bailouts for the homeless and the poor?”, asks Justin Sane, over hot-wire guitar. A year into the new Presidential administration, we’re still waiting for an answer.

Commendably, Anti-Flag refuses to get discouraged; in fact, they encourage their audience to dance straight through the dark times. The quartet just launched a coast-to-coast tour called The Economy Sucks, Let’s Party (in knowing counterpoint to a previous tour named War Sucks, Let’s Party; they’ll be hitting the road with Aiden, Cancer Bats and Broadway Calls, and bringing the protest/celebration to a city near you. The tour concludes in the band’s native Pittsburgh, where a plan to perform nearby the G-20 summit was recently (suspiciously?) cancelled. Anti-Flag in concert is a force, and their rapport with their devoted — and increasingly politicized — fanbase is inspiring to witness.

The clip for “The Economy Is Suffering (Let It Die)” communicates much of the power of Anti-Flag’s stage show. Shot in crisp black and white, the musicians appear as punk-iconic as a poster from ’78; sidelit and strident, Justin Sane delivers his lyrics with rare urgency. Behind the band, projected footage tells a story we’ve all become uncomfortably familiar with — the struggling homeowners, the sweaty Wall Street swindlers, the ordinary people working in the shadows of the tall skyscrapers. When the bars on the NASDAQ readouts start that precipitous slide, the bankers are nervous, but okay. Not so for the woman worried about her house — her checkbook is suddenly empty. Where did her money go? Justin Sane can tell you.

We’re excited to bring you this new Anti-Flag video, compliments of our good friends at Side One Dummy! If you need more info, call Andy Gesner at 732-613-1779 or e-mail us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com. You can also visit www.SideOneDummy.com orwww.Anti-Flag.com to find out more about Anti-Flag.

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For info about Anti-Flag’s previous video, “When The Lights Go Out” click HERE