Tuesday May 26 2009 10:38 p.m.

Backstage at the AB BOX in Brussels.
The show was great. The room sterile.
We put out sound, I could hear it leave our amps. It just got sucked into a vortex.
However, the 600 some in attendance gave back quite enough.

Pat took his drums into the swirling crowd for our updated version of Power To The Peaceful.

This tour has been a whirlwind.
So much traveling. Today is the first day that actually seemed to move quickly.

--- listening to the new Red Lights Flash album. (www.myspace.com/redlightsflash)

Team Austria is doing quite well for us.
Christoph of Red Lights Flash is our guitar tech for this run.
Thomas is our Tour Manager and Front of House Engineer.
Both are Austrian. Both are generous and kind human beings.

Killing time before I find a web stream of the Pittsburgh Penguins game tonite.

Tuesday May 12 2009 2:51 p.m.

So much going on.
I finished recording/producing the Dandelion Snow record: www.myspace.com/dandelionsnow
Talking to a friend of mine who works at a historic studio in Nashville, seeing if he'll master the album.
Master the album to 1/2" tape. Record over some Shania Twain hits.

The People or The Gun seems to be well received by the reviewers and, um, downloaders.
I'm not shocked or upset that the record leaked. I actually think the record is great and want people to hear it.
The only thing that is kind of a bum out is the art packaging/lyrics and essays are pretty important to this record.

Haven't heard the new green day or rancid records yet. Some say they're really good.

Been practicing for this upcoming tour. We start in St. Petersburg, Russia, I'm almost out of passport pages.
Hopefully I am not deported.

Working in some old songs we don't normally play (Stars and Stripes, One People, One Struggle, etc.) and some new one's off of The People or The Gun (When All The Lights Go Out, Sodom, Gomorrah, You Are Fired.).

Also, cooking up a super sacrilegious 7". An unreleased track about gay rights called "A Brief Misunderstanding of the Queens and Kings", put out on a friends (who plays in a great band) label.
How's that for vague.

In the meantime I've been talking to people, doing interviews and the like, all for the new record.
#1 question I've been asked...
It's been a year and a half between The People or The Gun and Bright Lights of America, why so soon?

Answer: By building our own studio we were able to write and record without over thinking the process. By releasing the record with SideOneDummy we can put the record out much faster than we could on RCA. To us it keeps the songs fresh, and pertinent. Instead of writing the songs for a month, demoing them for a month, recording in a studio for 2 months, deliver to a label and waiting 4 months for them to be released, which means a song you wrote almost a year ago is just being released now, we opted to do it much more quickly and keep it as relevant as possible.

Also, our favorite bands were way more prolific than we will ever hope to be.

The Clash-a record every year
The Clash
1977
Give 'Em Enough Rope
1978
London Calling
1979
Sandinista!
1980

Dead Kennedys-a record every year.
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
1980
In God We Trust Inc.
1981
Plastic Surgery Disasters
1982

The Beatles-almost 2 records per year. incredible.
Please Please Me
1963
With The Beatles
1963
A Hard Day's Night
1964
Beatles For Sale
1964
Help!
1965
Rubber Soul
1965
Revolver
1966
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1967
Magical Mystery Tour
1967
The Beatles (The White Album)
1968 (2 disc)
Yellow Submarine
1969
Abbey Road
1969
Let It Be
1970



take it easy. but take it.
2

Monday. May 4th 2009 9:36 A.M.

Hoodwink show was far greater than expected.
Playing your favorite bands songs is fucking taxing. So afraid to fuck 'em up.
The music that occurred before us was called Brokencyde.
They opened with what I assumed was a joke, a barrage of ignorance. But boy was I wrong. I love hip/hop and rap. I hate homophobia.
I never, especially on a festival show, want to use our stage time to talk about any of the bands playing.
I feel that it is up to us to separate ourselves and that people are smart enough to make up their own mind. People can decide for themselves what type or kind of message and music that they want to participate in.

BUT! This shit was too much. I politely told their crowd that Anti-Flag does not believe its cool or funny to use homophobic// ignorant speech, and that it is not a part of our scene. And then I said I hoped those dudes come down with some Swine Flu. Wakka-Wakka-Wakka.


Anyways.... The set was awesome, we didn't nearly fuck up as bad as we expected. Our boys in Set Your Goals, Outernational and The Ataris we're there for emotional support.

The Setlist:

London Calling
Police On My Back
--------------
Career Opportunities
I'm So Bored With The U.S.A
Clash City Rockers
White Riot
--------------
Janie Jones
Should I Stay or Should I Go
Safe European Home
(Guns of Brixton - Interlude)
I Fought The Law


In the insanity of the day, I did not get to film/post the video for Track 4 off of The People or The Gun, "We Are The One". I'll do that today.

Lastly, the 4 of us are headed to the editing studio to check in on a cut of a video we shot last Monday for "When All The Lights Go Out." I can give you one hint. FIRE.

Take it easy, but take it.

Chris 2

Wednesday April 22nd 10:56 p.m.

I apologize for the lack of correspondence.
Working on getting all the pieces of the puzzle together for the release of The People or The Gun.
Trying to organize interesting things to do with the songs, exclusive vinyl colors, bonus E.P., hooking up with friends to release a 7", etc.

I've been working in our studio recording the new Dandelion Snow album. The songs cover a huge spectrum of sounds. My favorite music has always been music that sonically and lyrically relays stories, emotion in the music, stories that people can really identify with. Thats the kind of songwriter DS is. Its been awesome. Check out some of his music at http://www.myspace.com/dandelionsnow

Each day, sandwiched in between waking up, playing ice hockey, The People or The Gun preparation, and Dandelion Snow recording, (whew!) we have been working on a fine selection of songs by, the only band that matters, THE CLASH.
Highlights include Janie Jones and Career Opportunities.

Hope you are all awesome.
Much Respect.
2

P.S. I got Game 5 pens vs. flyers tickets for tomorrow. How did that song go? I am so excited? And I just can't hide it? I think so...

Thursday. April 9th 2009 12:58 p.m.

New idea.
Songs of the Week: WEEK 1

Dandelion Snow - The Grand Scheme of Things - New Demos
Rancid - Last One To Die - Let The Dominoes Fall
Bullet Treatment - everyone song but the one I sing
The Ghost of a Thousand- Bright Lights - New Hopes, New Demonstrations


What songs/records are you listening to? GO!

Monday. April 6. 2009 3:22 p.m.

15 years ago today, Kurt Cobain died.
Long before I ever thought of playing bass, I found a guitar in my Uncles laundry room.
This event happened to occur the same week Nirvana Nevermind came out.

Drain You was the first song I learned how to play. I had limited musical experience at this age, from my brothers Mustang in the garage I could hear N.W.A. - Fuck Tha Police. I owned my own copy of MC Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, which was replaced by a cassette from a friend of my cousin. This cassette had Bad Religion - No Control on one side and a Cringer record on the other.
For some reason, no song on any of those albums made me HAVE TO learn how to play music the way Drain You did.
It spoke to my musical soul, and it still does.

Peace




Here's another, just cause it makes me smile when I watch it.

Saturday. April 4th 2009 6:39 p.m.

G 20 protest. London.