Yesterday, July 19th it was revealed that iconic political punk-rock band Anti-Flag would be disbanding.
The news came as a surprise to many in the music community, as for nearly 35 years the group fervently used its platform for political activism and social change. Initially announced via the band’s Patreon page yesterday evening, Anti-Flag made the following statement:
“Anti-Flag has disbanded. The Patreon has been switched into a mode where it will no longer charge the monthly fee. I will begin to process refunds to all patrons in the coming weeks. Once all refunds are processed, the Patreon page will also be removed.”
Anti-Flag have made no further statements via social media; in fact, the band have deleted all social media accounts — including their official website. Perhaps the most social media-fluent member, Chris No. 2, also deleted his Instagram; however, his Twitter account remains up.
The only additional comments to come from the Anti-Flag camp have been from their tour photographer, who solely confirmed the break-up while also stating that whatever was happening was between the band members and that he had no additional info to share.
The sudden disbandment and digital blackout of Anti-Flag nearly occurred simultaneously with an explosive podcast episode of the Enough podcast, in which allegations of sexual assault were raised against an unnamed lead singer of a political punk band. These allegations were made by Kristina Sarhadi, a therapist, and reiki-master, during her appearance on the podcast, and it’s worth noting that Sarhadi never mentioned Anti-Flag specifically or any other band for that matter.
However, fans of the band and many across social media began to attempt connecting dots and point towards the band in question being Anti-Flag — specifically their prompt and unexpected break-up at the same time as the release of this podcast episode.
When reached via email for additional comments or if there would be any other statements coming, Substream received a response stating that there would be no further comment at this time.
It’s worth noting that nothing has been confirmed and it is entirely possible this is a coincidence between Anti-Flag’s disbandment and the release of this podcast episode detailing allegations of sexual assault.
This is a developing story and Substream will keep you updated as more details come out regarding the disbandment of Anti-Flag.
