01-07-2016 Anti-Flag

[schema type=”event” evtype=”MusicEvent” name=”01-07-2016 Anti-Flag” description=”Support: Muncie Girls, The Prosecution” sdate=”2016-07-01″ street=”Batschkapp” city=”Frankfurt” country=”DE” ]

It is a Friday night in Frankfurt. And what better place to be than to hang out at the Batschkapp amongst many other cool people. So it happened, that the venue was filling up quickly. But for whom? Well, Anti-Flag was on the road, along with The Prosecution and Muncie Girls. And everyone here wanted to see these three amazing bands and have a great night.

The venue was filled with people of all ages and styles. From punk to business manager, it was a colorful mix that got together tonight, to see these brilliant bands.

Up first tonight was Muncie Girls. And this is who they are: Born in punk shows and dive bars to three driven teenagers in 2012, Muncie Girls embodies the classic punk rock story in a modern context. Fueled by discontent and anxiety, the Exeter trio eloquently addresses modern living as a self-aware young adult. The result is an ambitious and poignant rebellion against social norms that touches on everything from politics to interpersonal relationships.

The trio seemed little on the big stage, standing far apart. You could tell, they have not much of a routine for being on stage. But the three Brits did a great job performing for the thankful audience. It was the first time that Muncie Girls played in Frankfurt, Germany, and they enjoyed it. The catchy music got the audience to move along.

The band warmed them up quite a bit. Saying their thanks after each song, and telling a few stories in-between the set, Muncie Girls got close to the audience. And the audience appreciated that. The Brits had about thirty minutes playtime before they had to leave the stage again. But they made the best out of these thirty minutes and definitely left a positive impression with everyone in the room.

After a quick change over, the stage was about to get quite crowded with The Prosecution. The Prosecution is a German ska core band from Bavaria. The band was founded in 2002. The band consists of eight friends. The line up includes – besides the regular instrument guitar, bass and drums – a trumpet, saxophone and a trombone. This combination of the instruments causes the arrangements to sound instruments.

All these instruments of these eight people were filling the stage and the guys were all lining up in the front of the stage – except for the drummer. The music was fast and thriving, loud and energizing, pulling everyone along.

Soon, there was no one standing still anymore. Everyone in the audience was dancing along to the ska music, singing along and having a good time. The band highly appreciated that, but always wanted the audience to go along a little more. And they did. Fans were refilling their cups, drinking and having a good time with good music. The lyrics and songs of The Prosecution were quite political. Between some songs, the band was saying a few things about some of the songs and their political view as well as opinion. Most of the audience agreed and cheered even louder.

The Prosecution performed an impressive set that heated up the Batschkapp and amazed everyone in the venue. These guys sure know how to party and spread good vibes. After about forty minutes, the band was finished.

Now it was time for the main act of the night: Anti-Flag. Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The band is well known for political activism, focusing on anti-war activism, anti-imperialism, class struggle, human rights, and various sociopolitical sentiments. The line-up includes singer/guitarist Justin Sane and drummer Pat Thetic, who founded the band; later members are guitarist Chris Head, and singer/bassist Chris Barker who replaced Jamie “Cock” Towns, who had replaced original bassist Andy Flag in 1997 following his departure one year prior.

Anti-Flag is known also for their advocacy of progressive political action groups such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Most recently, the band has declared solidarity with the global Occupy Together movement. You could tell by all the slogans the band has up on their banners and stickers on their equipment.

As the Americans entered the stage, the audience was going insane. The fast and thriving punk music was setting everyone in motion. The mosh pit was slowly growing, involving almost the entire center of the venue. People were singing and shouting along, cheering out loud after each song, enjoying every second. The guys on stage were constantly jumping around, not standing still for even a second. Anti-Flag played songs off all their albums, beginning with some older ones.

Between every other song, the singer Justin or Chris were telling a short story about the upcoming song, as well as the political background to the song or the inspiration. Also did they always repeat, that the audience should take care of each other while they are all having fun. The band even stopped the show for a second, as they thought that a fan had gotten hurt while dancing.

It was as if a family had gotten back together. Everyone was getting along and shared their opinions and came to the same conclusion. They celebrated equal rights, respect and being community, no matter where you come from.

It was an intense show that got the visitors soaked in sweat. The songs were fast and thriving, making it hard to stand still. The vocal support from the fans was huge, and for some parts the fans even sang by themselves. What an amazing Friday night with the amazing Anti-Flag. Always a pleasure.

Muncie Girls
The Prosecution
Anti-Flag