Against Me! Wonder Why So Many People Are Against Them

By all accounts, 2007 was pretty kind to Gainesville, Florida punk act Against Me!, and despite some naysayers, the coming year’s not looking any worse, writes Jonah Bayer at Gibson.com.

After spending the past decade pounding out the beats in sweaty basements and DIY venues, Against Me!’s major-label debut, New Wave, was heralded as the best album of the year by Spin. Touring relentlessly behind the album, they converted an influx of new fans by sharing the bill with a diverse roster of bands ranging from Fake Problems and Mastodon to Green Day and Foo Fighters.

“On our last European Tour we played in a room where they feed cows, so we played on troughs with troughs on each side of us,” explains frontman Tom Gabel. “It was almost like a catwalk or whatever—and we made the best out of that and that was a really good show, so yeah, we’re adaptable.”

“I think the beauty of being in this band is the complete variety of things we do,” adds bassist Andrew Seward.

With success comes criticism, and no scene is more critical than the anarchist-punk circle to which Against Me! were born.

When asked if he’s sick of the constant criticism, Gabel explains with marked frustration, “It would be one thing if you could justify your actions to somebody and they would take into account what you’re saying, but most of the time people are aren’t actually looking to have their minds changed about everything. You can give them a million reasons that are all valid and completely true, and they would still hold the same opinion of you. They’re more looking to say the way they feel and they don’t really care about reasons, you know?”

Pitfalls of fame aside, Against Me! have plenty of things to celebrate, and with their sudden reputation as punk rock’s reigning flame-carriers, they’ve experienced plenty of moments of disbelief this past year, only one of them being a run in with Big Love’s Bill Paxton, an apparent fan of Against Me! “You have to understand that we were as excited as everyone else,” says Seward of the encounter. “Like, are you kidding, Bill Paxton is standing on the stage giving the devil’s horns and sticking his tongue out? That’s pretty intense.”

Credits for the info to Gibson.com.

Comments

[AestheticGuitar]

see, here's the problem. how do you preach against mtv and arena shows and then sign to a major label, get all over mtv, and play arena shows? if they didn't preach against it, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

[rhoads4ever]

isn't a "punk" act not supposed to give a damn what people say?

[king1201989]

I have listened to Against Me for about 3 years now. I was very happy for them to be released on a major label... I don't think that it should be held in as much as a negative light as everyone currently allocates it too. Just signing to the label hasn't made the people any different (well at least not in Against Me!'s case). I send them congrats for it and I am looking forward to seeing them this Friday.

I agree with spin, New Wave is definately my favorite album of last year

[ihaterap69]

these guys deserve all thwe accolades they get. they've given so much of their lives drivign around in a van, playing for anywhere from 5-500 people a night, and they FINALLY catch their break- but noone cares. they just say "tom sang about being anarchist, but cuz hes now major label, he is a hypocrite"

maybe signing to a major label is just his way of getting his message out to many, MANY, more people

[end_citizen]

This is an amazing band. I saw them this summer and I see them on the 28th opening for the Foo Fighters. They are truely awesome. And as for the whole "major label" controversy, if you look at Sire's roster, no real "major" bands. Against Me! just signed with a larger label, and due their total kick-assery, they have become large than the label. *IMO

[THECLASHROCK1]

They are ****ing amazing for any of you ****in
bastards who call them traitors

[vlp_dope]

ihaterap69 wrote:

these guys deserve all thwe accolades they get. they've given so much of their lives drivign around in a van, playing for anywhere from 5-500 people a night, and they FINALLY catch their break- but noone cares. they just say "tom sang about being anarchist, but cuz hes now major label, he is a hypocrite"

maybe signing to a major label is just his way of getting his message out to many, MANY, more people

and get MUCH, MUCHH more money right?..... u don't need a major label to spread the word to the people.

[Phe4rTheGod]

AestheticGuitar wrote:

see, here's the problem. how do you preach against mtv and arena shows and then sign to a major label, get all over mtv, and play arena shows? if they didn't preach against it, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

same with anti-fag, oh i mean flag...

[icekold23]

vlp_dope wrote:

ihaterap69 wrote:

these guys deserve all thwe accolades they get. they've given so much of their lives drivign around in a van, playing for anywhere from 5-500 people a night, and they FINALLY catch their break- but noone cares. they just say "tom sang about being anarchist, but cuz hes now major label, he is a hypocrite"

maybe signing to a major label is just his way of getting his message out to many, MANY, more people

and get MUCH, MUCHH more money right?..... u don't need a major label to spread the word to the people.

Well, I've never heard of you before

[pigmaggots]

AestheticGuitar wrote:

see, here's the problem. how do you preach against mtv and arena shows and then sign to a major label, get all over mtv, and play arena shows? if they didn't preach against it, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

Well, they probably signed to the label to get better coverage of what they are doing

[deterramone]

I wouldn't be disappointed with them anywhere near as much as I am if their past few albums didn't suck. "New Wave" and "Searching for a Former Clarity" both have a few decent songs, but they're nothing compared to "Reinventing Axl Rose". I'd rather not see them on a major label, and I miss their old sound, but at least their message hasn't changed.

[dustinsaloser]

OK, here are some things, 1) I'm a huge AM! fan. 2) WHO CARES!!! 3)

AestheticGuitar wrote:

see, here's the problem. how do you preach against mtv and arena shows and then sign to a major label, get all over mtv, and play arena shows? if they didn't preach against it, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

So...when have they EVER said that they were anti-mtv? I know the song reinventing axl rose had a somewhat anti-arena saying in it but IT'S A SMALL SEGMENT OF ONE SONG. 4) If you don't like the "new sound" don't buy th album/don't see them live/don't support them. How immature do u have to be to worry if a band is "selling out?" By definition, they sold out the minute they charged $$$ for their shows/and albums. Lets face it, throughout each album the only thing that has changed is they've evolved into more of a "rock" sound, I mean, their politics are still in order, the protest is still there...and isn't THAT what "punk" is all about. (This is my first post in a forum, so sorry for any errors)

[StreetLight3989]

Baby, I'm An Anarchist is seriously the most hypocritical song ever.

[againstme660]

I dont see why people are against them if they are true punk,