Anti-Flag Unveil Aussie Tour To Honour 10 Years Of LP That Made Everyone Mad At Anti-Flag

Veteran US punk outfit Anti-Flag will return to Australia this December with a special show in tow as the band look to celebrate 10 years of their controversial major-label debut full-length, For Blood & Empire.

At the time of the album's release in 2006, its presence underneath the RCA Records umbrella was a point of contention for die-hard fans of the band; where some saw the move as a sign of progress, acknowledgment, even acceptance, it was otherwise pretty uniformly sledge city among the opinion trenches as a bunch of people labelled Anti-Flag as massive sellouts and seemingly took it as a personal affront that musicians would want to make a living from their art.

Regardless of your personal feelings on the album and its significance in Anti-Flag's oeuvre, it's now a decade later and the band are still hugely successful, putting out their 10th album, American Spring, last year. Plus, they're in a position where they're able to make the jaunt to Australia from Pittsburgh for a throwback album anniversary tour so, honestly, they probably made the right fiscal call all those years ago.

Naturally, as part of the deal with this sort of sojourn, Anti-Flag will be playing the album in full alongside an encore of all audience requests — so, yeah, they're pulling out the stops to make this one a tour to remember — when they hit local stages, with the tour set to start in early December at The Triffid, Brisbane, and take in shows in Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide (licensed all ages), Melbourne and Perth.

"Pittsburgh to Australia isn't an easy commute... when we get there we want it to be special," the band said in a statement. "This tour is no different, celebrating 10 years of For Blood & Empire we will be performing the record and then an encore of all audience requests. It's going to be a unique show, to say the least. As always, the emphasis will be on community, solidarity, and empathy. 

"We look forward to sharing this tremendously important record from our band's life with a part of the world that we have found solace and family in for years."

Speaking of family, Anti-Flag will be bringing a long-time mate along for the ride in special guest Scott Reynolds, who you may remember as the frontman of noted pop-punk outfit ALL from 1989-1993. Having spent the past 20-odd years or so keeping busy with all manner of outfits, Reynolds brings a diverse and eclectic set with him to Australia that even includes some faves from his time with ALL.

Tickets for all shows will go on sale from 9am tomorrow, 28 September, via Destroy All Lines.

For more information, including dates, venues and other booking details, see theGuide.