By Lesley Macdonald
I found out I got this review pass on the day of the gig, so I drove into Glasgow a bit unprepared. I’ve been told I can’t park near the venue so to try Blytheswood Square area to find a spot. I’ve not heard good things about Blytheswood Square: fuck that, I’ll take my chances at finding somewhere nearer. Still, it’s a new experience driving down Sauchiehall Street, where The Garage is located, at this time of night. It’s a street for drinking on, full of students, bars, clubs and takeaways with names above their status. Pretty sure ‘The Bistro’ sells chips, cheese and curry sauce. Ah the memories…
I dump the car and head along to The Garage just in time for first support act Maid of Ace. Yep, they’re a female four piece. I find out later that they’re actually sisters from Hastings. It’s early, bloody freezing in here and I’m not expecting to be blown away but I’m distracted from my phone repeatedly by this all female, British punk band who are not going to let a bunch of freezing cold Glaswegians keep them down. Not only do they look amazing, they have presence and are full of energy. The drummer, Abby, flings her blonde mane around like a maniac without missing a beat. I head a bit further forward. This is definitely a band I will look to keep an eye and an ear on.
Out of the corner of my eye I see a huge double-bass being wheeled on to the stage. What the hell? It’s one of these ‘Is this really happening?’ odd moments. Say hello to Canadian ‘psychobilly’ (rockabilly influenced punk) band The Creepshow. I have to hear this. Diminutive singer Kenda ‘Twisted’ Legaspi drips confidence, eyeing the crowd left and right as, alongside guitarist Chuck Coles, she leads keyboardist Kristian ‘The Reverend’ Rowles, drummer Ale Serritiello and bearded double-bass player Sean McNab. With the songs about horror movies, Chuck in his flat cap and Sean waving his double bass about over his head it’s a surreal experience indeed. Then Kenda gets into the crowd. Lifting her mic cable up, she encourages a circle pit around her and, though tame compared to what will follow, that’s it really, the crowd are theirs. Despite myself I enjoyed the show and when they’re gone everyone is properly ready for the headliners. Job done, both support acts were impressive, but then there’s a lot to live up to.
Anti-Flag have the crowd before they even come on stage. It’s suddenly packed in front of the stage as everyone presses forward. Drummer Pat Thetic is given a hero’s welcome, rolling the drums before they open with ‘Christian Nationalist’ from the new album ‘20/20 Vision’. It goes off. I find myself, sober mind, in the middle of a bunch of blokes and the odd lass, jumping around and pushing each other. Looking to my right there’s a tiny woman with her hands covering her ears. At this point I think, maybe I should move back a bit, but I don’t and, what’s better, neither does she. We want to be here, near the front to see and hear Anti-Flag as they should be heard. Well then, Hell mend us, let’s see if we survive.
As the first line of ‘Turncoat’ is blasted out I recognise that many here are dedicated fans and if I thought it was wild before, it just gets better as everyone screams out “turncoat, killer, liar, thief”. This is a proper punk song. Someone flies into me, shoves his arm around my shoulder and we have a wee jump around before I shove him back into the middle. Why the hell did I not wear my gutties tonight? This is going to be amazing, if I don’t fall on my ass or lose a tooth. Probably will be anyway…
The set is relentless and impressive with old and new material alike lapped up by the fans. Sticking out for me are the scathing ‘The Press Corpse’ about the way the media reports without substance and ‘Trouble Follows Me’, both sing along punk classics. Though the tour is for the new album, there are only four tracks from ’20/20′ vision in the setlist, but that just doesn’t matter as this band have a back-catalogue worth shouting about. Newbie ‘Hate Conquers All’ is an anthem, ramming home the key message: love trumps, for want of a better word, hate.
It’s not surprising then, that at one point Anti-Flag stop playing and bassist Chris Head jumps off the stage. The security bloke at the barrier looks pissed. That’s pissed-off, or cross, for our non-UK readers, not drunk. With Chris Dos pointing into the crowd and singer Justin Sane joining in, I wonder what’s got their knickers in a twist. Must be a fight! It wasn’t though. I later hear that security had tried to stop a fan ‘dangerously’ waving his ‘Destroy Fascism’ scarf. The band had basically stopped playing until they left him alone. Brilliant! As I watch it back on my phone, it brings a smile to my face to see Chris #1 meaningfully sidestep security and grab the fan getting grief, saying something into his ear as security back off.
There seems to be a theme here of support and community. I’ve seen five or six people hit the floor in the crowd but they’re always picked up immediately by those around them and carried back in with a smile on their faces. There’s no animosity, no vying for space, everyone enjoys the night together. How can this happen, especially in the heart of Glasgow? Well its part of what Anti-Flag are all about. Chris #2 speaks a lot throughout the set, in between and during songs, spreading the bands message. He gets everyone to shake the hands of the person of their left and right as he says that we can start a revolution easy. “Just be kind to one another”.
To chants of “here we fucking go”, the band re-emerges for their encore. ‘We are the Disease’ is followed by ‘Brandenburg Gate’. As people surf over the barrier at the front, the crowd open into a massive circle which charges shut. They then set Pat and Chris #2 up in, yes in the crowd for finisher ‘Die for the Government’. The end of the set is frenetic. The band put everything into it. As they wind up, I’m left with the feeling that I’ve witnessed something special. That was one of the best shows I’ve seen, ever. I wasn’t fucking expecting that!
When I get home my husband immediately bursts my bubble, saying he looked Anti-Flag up, but of course they were left wing, so he lost interest. I love this man but, laughing to myself, I think I know what’s fucking wrong with him. He needs to like people more. What’s wrong with left wing if it means we stop constantly fighting each other, if we all get on, if we all have a fucking amazing night? I genuinely can’t wait to see Anti- Flag again and drag my other half, kicking and screaming, along. Some people just need a friendly shove so they can see clearly what’s going on, right? So if you like a bit of punk and you haven’t seen Anti-Flag yet, just get it done. You’ll thank me for that little push, you’ll see.
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