It is a Thursday night in Sydney and after being up at in Newcastle on Tuesday and witnessing Anti Flag put on one hell of a show, I am now at the Factory Theatre to hear once again a played live in full version of the best punk albums ever produced Blood For The Empire.
Along for the ride on this tour with Anti Flag is Scott Reynolds the legendary punk rock vocalist who sang for the highly influential pop-punkers ALL. His sweet dolce tones would provide the perfect contrast to what would be on after him. I can not say i was the hugest fan of All but that wasn’t a problem as for there were plenty more in attendance who were he kept the crowd entertained playing songs from all over his career.
Anti Flag take to the stage and open things right up , playing with all the fury and intensity music like there’s provide, its like they lift the sound straight off the album and place it right there at the Factory theatre the set list flows in track order, if you know the album then you there are many highlights sing alongs and parts to just totally let your shit go and mosh the fuck out. Songs like Emigre had us screaming out ‘ No you can’t stop this exodus‘. Each track bought about a mosh but it was on The Project For A new American Century we had the first of our crowd surfers go over the barrier a trend that would continue all set.
It’s not an Anti flag show with out a comment about the current political climate, Chris 2 tells us “that it is a testament to our community no matter how they advocate the spending on wars or on economic terrorism it is people like our selves in Sydney and Pittsburgh that will stand against such things in unity” this leads us into 1 Trillion Dollar$** and we all in unison gang vocal style sing ‘fuck the world‘ and give the middle finger salute.
Things are sounding great from the band, they move about rocking out in true punk rock style, guitar jumps drum stage leaps and all this energy translates to us in the crowd up he front and all around there is excitement in the air and a real party vibe is going on, lead singer Justin Sane comments on it and encourages us to keep it before opening the biggest circle pit of the night for State Funeral during which Justin delivers on hell of a guitar solo.
At the albums end on track Depleted Uranium Is a War Crime they take a short break to catch their breath and then its audience request time for the encore and depending if they remember how to play it we get to hear it lol. Well the first of these fan request is Turncoat accompanied by many other greatest hits and fan favourites such as new hit Brandenburg Gate, Fuck Police Brutality, Die For your Government and Broken Bones to name but a few. It was once some one yelled out Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C. we get a confession that at the show is a fan who travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur to be at the shows and he has been waiting for some one to yell that out, good on you Sydney for making his wish come true.
All great things must end and after Fuck Police Brutality security pass over the drummers kit and a chair for Chris 2 and together they finish things off from the mosh pit playing Bring Out Your Dead, you had to be there a whole community gathered round the band singing in unison and celebrating the awesomeness of live music. Justin reminds us that at each show there is a Sea Shepard merch stand and that we should all get involved, in Newcastle they made the confession they were plying better then had in Brisbane in Sydney they were even better i can only imagine the rest of the cities on this tour are in for a real treat so get out there and support live music.
Review – Chad
Photo Gallery – Christian Ross
