Anti-Flag is a punk rock band based in the United States, formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and known for its outspoken left-wing political views, focusing on anti-war activism, imperialism, class struggle, human rights, and other sociopolitical sentiments. Members include singer/guitarist Justin Sane, singer/bassist Chris Barker, guitarist Chris Head, and drummer Pat Thetic; Chris Barker (“Chris #2”) replaced original bassist Andy Flag in 1999. The band is known also for their advocacy of progressive political action groups such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Most recently, the band has focused criticism on the United States bailouts, which were executed to give massive portions of capital directly towards salvaging the national banks.
Their first appearance was on Rock’n With Father Mike a 7 inch Split EP released by Anti-Flag and The Bad Genes. It contains some of the oldest Anti-Flag recordings, as it was released in 1993 when they had newly formed the band. Possibly the rarest Anti-Flag record, it is highly sought after by fans today. The title is a reference to a punk rock preacher who was known as Father Mike. There are three known versions of the record. One has a pink cover, one has a light blue cover, and one has a yellow cover. Then Reject another 7 inch Split EP Anti-Flag with a ska punk band Against All Authority, released in 1996. Though the original EP is hard to find in music stores, due to its DIY release, it can be found spread about the internet on music-sharing sites.
