Anti-Flag falls apart during European tour
UPDATE: 11/22/23 at 10:47 PM ET
After Sarhadi alleged in July that she had been sexually assaulted by Sane, she filed a lawsuit against the musician on Wednesday, November 22, based on documents obtained by Rolling stone. She is also suing Anti-Flag’s distribution company, of which band members Bollinger, Head and Barker are registered members, for an undisclosed amount. The news comes four months after Anti-Flag abruptly disbanded during their European tour.
“Justin Geever used his platform as a celebrated, self-proclaimed ‘punk rock star’ to groom and entice vulnerable girls to feel safe in his presence,” Sarhadi alleged in a statement to the outlet. “While he sang about protecting women and standing up to abusers, it appears he was hiding an addiction to power and control, harming countless women who were previously unable to speak up. Today I hope to encourage his survivors, and survivors of other music industry predators, to feel hope again.
Original story below:
Longtime punk rock band Anti-Flag has split up after 35 years of playing music together.
“Anti-Flag has been lifted, the Patreon has switched to a mode where it no longer charges the monthly fee,” read the group’s Patreon page on Wednesday, July 19. “I will begin processing refunds to all patrons in the coming weeks. Once all refunds have been processed, the Patreon page will also be deleted.”
Following the announcement on the membership platform service, the band’s official website and social media were subsequently removed. Frontman Justin Grever – who goes by the stage name Justin Sane – has also deleted his Twitter page.
The news came as a shock to fans of the music group which consists of members Greever, Pat Thetic, Chris Head And Chris Barker – who is also known as Chris No. 2. Anti-Flag was in the middle of a European tour with the Dropkick Murphys. None of the bands have announced their plans for the upcoming shows.
Shocking tape leaves over the years
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Earlier this year, drummer Thetic praised his bandmates for their longevity as they prepared to release their 13th album, Lies they tell our children.
“It’s really unusual – incredibly unusual – and it’s a testament to the fact that we’re on a mission with the band,” Thetic told the band in January. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We have a belief structure and we take into account the fact that we can keep that mission going.”
Fans of Anti-Flag began to question the reasons for the group’s abrupt split after a named woman Kristina Sarhadi emerged on the “Enoughpodcast – which is dedicated to sexual violence in the music business. On the July 19 episode, Sarhadi alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a singer in a political punk band.
Fans have noticed that details from Anti-Flag’s history may match her story, per Revolver. Neither Greever nor other members of Anti-Flag have addressed the allegations.
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Sarhadi claimed that she connected with the unnamed musician during one of his shows in Brooklyn and exchanged numbers. Weeks later, the couple met at a film festival near her hometown and spent time together at a party. After the event, the musician reportedly told Sarhadi that he had recorded a song Billy Bragg and offered to play it for her in his room.
“So he closes the door, he locks the door and before I can even turn around or look for the computer where he was going to play this song… he screamed, ‘Football Tackle’ and lifted me onto the bed,” she says. claimed in the podcast episode. “That’s the scariest way to start a sexual assault, I would say. It sounded playful and he giggled about it, but as soon as I lay on the bed he put his hand around my throat and basically turned into a monster.
Anti-Flag was founded in 1988 by Greever and Thetic, but disbanded after their first year. The group – which added Head and Barker to the band – decided to give it another try in 1992 and released their debut album Die For The Government four years later. The group found success in the early 2000s when they signed with Fat Wreck Chords and participated in the annual Warped Tour.
Sexual misconduct scandals in Hollywood
While Hollywood may seem all glitz and glamor at first glance, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals over the years. The New York Times and the New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 accusing disgruntled film producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Shortly afterwards, Weinstein stood trial and did so […]
After signing with RCA, Anti-Flag became an international touring act and one of the most politically outspoken bands. The group spoke out against wars, tyranny, police brutality, environmental destruction and social injustices in their songs.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).