Against Me!

Against Me!
Years active	1997 – Present
Members	Tom Gabel Andrew Seward James Bowman Warren Oakes

Against Me! is a punk band formed in Naples, Florida that then moved to Gainesville, Florida. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records, is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Plan It X Records, Sabot Productions, No Idea Records, and most recently, Fat Wreck Chords. In December of 2005, they signed to Sire Records, and are scheduled to release their major label debut in 2007.

Biography

Tom Gabel started the band as a solo act with vocals and acoustic guitar, occasionally with backup from drummers or bassists. This period in the band was marked by playing a guerrilla show in a college apartment complex laundromat, emphasizing the folk-punk aspect of their work. He put out one demo tape by himself, entitled "Against Me!". Another was put out later, with a more complete band, entitled Vivada Vis. A six song EP was released on Plan It X Records entitled "Crime, As Forgiven By Against Me!".

After Crime, a 6 song self-titled Acoustic EP was released. It contains no electric guitar or drums; only acoustic guitar and bass guitar. It is one of the band's definitive releases.

Reinventing Axl Rose was the band's first full-length album. This album was a shift because of the addition of electric guitars, and a full band. There is a much more recognizable mainstream rock sound, but still a large folk influence, particularly in songs like the Irish-influenced "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and the tongue-in-cheek ballad "Baby, I'm an Anarchist!".

After Axl Rose, a 3 song EP entitled The Disco Before The Breakdown was released. The title track was a marked departure from the earlier sound, incorporating friends and musicians from their label, No Idea Records, as a horns section. "Tonight We're Gonna Give it 35%" showed perhaps the band's greatest transition away from folk towards more rock sounds. "Beginning in an Ending" is the only track harkening back to the band's earliest days.

Their second full length album, As The Eternal Cowboy was released on Fat Wreck Chords. Though many fans welcomed the opportunity of more exposure for the band, some older fans and those with anarchist sensibilities themselves were less pleased. Some even considered the band sell-outs, as the band had gone against their former ideals, such as a DIY ethic and anti-capitalist standings. This became an issue of great dispute among fans. The album itself showed another move away from their folk roots towards a more rock sound. This subject becomes the topic of their next release "We're Never Going Home".

"We're Never Going Home" is a tour documentary, produced by Jake Burghart of Transition Video Magazine, which follows the band on a US tour where they were offered million dollar deals by the major record labels. The anticipation for their next record sent record executives off to wine and dine the band with offers of fortune and fame. The video offers insight into how the band handled these offers and also gives a peek at what it's like to live life on the road with the band.

In between these two releases, an unofficial "release", a demo, was stolen from someone affiliated with the band at a Lucero show. This important, albeit not widely known, incident symbolized the growing disconnect between the band and its fanbase. Songs such as "Miami", "Holy Shit", "Problems", "How Low" and "Joy" all made it from the demo to the band's third album Searching For A Former Clarity . Oddly enough, all songs that appeared on the album had the same names that were given to them on the demo by the band's listeners. This was a knowing snub to the thieves and an acknowledgement of the act on the part of Against Me!, a band generally known for its clever and creative song titles. The songs were, however, re-recorded for their full-length release.

Their latest album Searching For A Former Clarity was released on September 6, 2005. It broke them into the mainstream, debuting at number 114 on the Billboard charts. The band released a music video for their first single, "Don't Lose Touch," specifically for Myspace. The video can now be seen on the television music station Fuse. The band's performance of "Don't Lose Touch" on Late Night With Conan O'Brien aired on September 30th, 2005. Against Me! also had "Don't Lose Touch" aired on the MTV 10 Spot on November 11th, 2005.

On December 21st 2005, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Sire Records, home both to many historical punk bands such as The Ramones, The Hives and The Distillers, and also to not-so-punk acts such as Mandy Moore and Spongebob Squarepants. This decision has alienated some of Against Me!'s longtime fans, who feel that the band's signing to a major label betrays their anarchistic ethics and longtime beliefs, but other fans remain supportive of the band's decision.[1]

As of March and April 2006, the band has been touring with Alkaline Trio on their "Occult Roots Tour".

Band members

• Tom Gabel - Guitar, Lead Vocals
• James Bowman - Guitar, Vocals
• Andrew Seward - Bass, Vocals
• Warren Oakes - Drums

Former Band Members

• Dustin Fridkin - Bass, Vocals
• Kevin Mahon - Drums

Discography

Full Length Albums

• Reinventing Axl Rose - 2002, No Idea Records
• As the Eternal Cowboy - 2003, Fat Wreck Chords
• Searching for a Former Clarity - 2005, Fat Wreck Chords

Demos

• Against Me! (Demo tape) also known as Tom's Demo or Tom's First Demo - 1996
• Vivida Vis! - 1998
• Leaked Searching for a Former Clarity Demos - 2004

EPs

• Against Me! EP - 2000, Crasshole
• Crime As Forgiven By - 2001, Plan-It-X Records (CD)/Sabot Productions (7")
• The Acoustic EP - 2001, Sabot Productions
• The Disco Before the Breakdown - 2002, No Idea Records

Singles

• Cavalier Eternal 7"- 2004, No Idea Records
• Sink, Florida, Sink 7" - 2005, No Idea Records
• Dont Lose Touch 12" - 2005, Fat Wreck Chords
• From Her Lips To God's Ears 12" - 2006, Fat Wreck Chords

DVDs

• We're Never Going Home - 2004, Fat Wreck Chords

See also

• List of bands from Florida

External links

• Official Band Website
• Sire Records
• No Idea Records
• Fat Wreck Chords
• Fat Tour
• Interview with Warren Oakes
• Against Me! Lyrics
• Transition Video Magazine starring Against Me!
• Live Video Of Against Me! playing.
• Interview with Warren Oakes (2006)