Rock Against Bush

Rock Against Bush is a project mobilizing punk rock musicians against the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign of George W. Bush. It was inspired by the idea of creating a vibe of anti-war and pro-peace sentiment, similar to the Woodstock Festival of 1969.

The effort was initiated by Fat Mike (Michael Burkett) of the band NOFX. It has included live concerts, a series of compilation albums, and a "punkvoter" website. Its goal was to encourage people, especially punk fans, to register to vote and to oppose Bush. The album proceeds were used to support a 2004 concert tour and an associated voter registration drive, emphasizing the swing states.

The project was not successful, as President George W. Bush went on to win re-election.

Albums

The albums have been issued by the Fat Wreck Chords label, which focuses on punk artists, so most of the songs are by punk bands. In addition to NOFX, performers include Rise Against, Pennywise, and Anti-Flag.

Discography

Vol. 1 (April 20, 2004)
Vol. 2 (August 10, 2004)
Vol. 3 (scheduled for release sometime in 2005)

Criticism

Rock Against Bush and Punkvoter received criticism from diverse groups and individuals. As expected, conservatives and supporters of George W. Bush criticised the movement. A similar (but more obscure) project was started by conservative punks, called Crush Kerry.

In addition to criticism from conservatives, some more radical punks (and anarchists especially) criticized the emphasis on electoral politics, as well as the virtual endorsement of John Kerry, who some believed was almost (if not) as bad as George W. Bush. The band Propagandhi decided not to participate when Fat Mike requested they change the lyrics of the song they wished to contribute.