It’s a very special night in Scotland, for many reasons. Firstly, it’s not raining. The early evening air positively shimmers in anticipation of summer. It’s also the first time one of Glasgow’s oldest institutions - Glasgow University - will play host to political commentators and punk saviors Anti-Flag.

The Pittsburgh four-piece last entertained gig-goers of Glasgow in 2006, when they supported Taking Back Sunday at the SECC (The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center) as part of the Taste of Chaos tour.

The venue for their very first Scottish headlining show is the Queen Margaret Union, known in the local area as the QMU. It has a long and varied history, and has even played host to bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. The QMU was opened in 1890 and has its roots in sexism, having been built to segregate the female students from the male student body when they were first granted permission to study at the University. It’s small, cosy, and a perfect place for Anti-Flag to continue their fight against social injustice and corrupt politics.

Opening act All Idols Fall are the token British band on the bill, but their nationality does little to excite the unenthusiastic crowd. All Idols Fall aren’t bad - their songs are reasonably well-crafted and they ooze energy and sincerity - but they’re not anything special either. They sound a little too much like the million and one similar melodic hardcore acts spewing from all corners. They’re even heckled at the end of their brief set.

The next act to take to the stage are Boston-based three-piece, State Radio. They look like a bunch of stoner kids who’ve wandered onto the stage by mistake, and they don’t sound much better. State Radio are just as political as Anti-Flag, but they are ten times more self-righteous. The crowd tires quickly of having mumbled political statements shoved down their throats, and after a song about the West Memphis 3, the Iraq war, and everything else that’s sure to rile up a left-leaning crowd, State Radio leave to a smattering of lukewarm applause.

Anti-Flag’s stage setup consists of a huge backdrop featuring the cover art from their most recent release, The Bright Lights of America. Although criticised by some fans for diversity and universality of the new material, Anti-Flag make it quite clear from the outset that this show, like everything they do, will be on their terms. Opening with new track “Spit in the Face,” the band set a frantic pace that does not falter throughout their set.

Front man Justin Sane pauses only to tell the crowd to take care of each other, and Anti-Flag continue their set with a dizzying, crowd-pleasing combination of new tracks and old favourites. Album title track “The Bright Lights of America” sounds just as fun live as it does on the CD, proving that you don’t need to be boring to get your point across.

It also happens to be bassist Chris 2’s "19th" birthday (or so he claims; various internet sites claim he is actually 28 years of age) and the huge circle pit stops - for the first time since the band took the stage - to join in a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday."

Classic Anti-Flag tracks such as “Fuck Police Brutality,” “Turncoat,” and “Die For Your Government” are well received by the enthusiastic crowd, but it’s the set closer and crowd favourite “Drink Drank Punk” that gets one of the best reactions of the night.

The band match the crowd’s sincerity and energy, despite the absence of drummer Pat Thetic, and the small venue creates the kind of intimacy in which Anti-Flag thrive. The urgency of their songs does nothing to detract from the fact that Anti-Flag are an accomplished live act, who can educate and entertain at the same time.

This may be their first headlining show in Scotland, but if the fans’ reaction to the hour-long set is anything to go by, it won’t be their last.

For more information about Anti-Flag, please see their official website at www.anti-flag.com and their MySpace at www.myspace.com/antiflag.

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