Rise Against Says ‘The Violence’ Video Shoot Permit Pulled Because It Was Deemed ‘Anti-Government’
Rise Against says the filming permit for its new single “The Violence” was pulled because it was deemed “anti-government.”
The Chicago rock band posted a message to its Facebook page, explaining the concept behind the song and video and how they got rejected.
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“The song talks about whether violence is an inevitability of the human condition, or whether it’s a choice we make, and therefore, can reject. The video would attempt to distill this concept,” the band wrote. “Our director approached us with the idea of filming in a field full of the Presidential busts (basically the giant concrete heads of Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, etc). Our permit to shoot the video was initially granted, but subsequently pulled by the board of directors who oversee the location. The reason? They decided we were ‘anti-government.'”
While the band does note explicitly state the location, based on an image attached to the post it appears to be a privately owned farm in Croaker, Virginia, where dozens of 20-feet-tall presidential busts sit deteriorating. The heads were originally commissioned from Houston artist David Adickes as the centerpiece for Presidents Park, a now dissolved sculpture park formerly located in nearby Williamsburg.
“We found this location compelling as the President heads represent power on both sides of the aisle,” the band’s post continued. “Rise Against has unapologetically spoken truth to power…. Renewed attacks on the most vulnerable in the world in the year 2017 has strengthened our resolve. We plan on being unapologetically loud about it no matter who tells us to pipe down. In that respect, we wear the boards rejection as a badge of honor. We will just find another door to claw at…”
Rise Against’s new album, Wolves?, will be released June 9.
Read the full post here:
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