English flag vs the American flag

Never the Beatles or Stones, but I think many of the British bands I dug sported the British flag… and I believe not in an ironic way. The who, the jam, the clash (Simenon on the debut cover), many others. Pistols used the imagery. It always looked cool to me (a US kid).

Not as common a thing to sport the US flag with American bands. The MC5 are the only ‘hip’ act I can think of who made it part of their image. Were there others?

In my mind, it’s as if the British flag is cool and the US flag, well, isn’t??

Go ahead and put on your Lee Greenwood and Charlie Daniel’s records and tell me I’m a crummy American. But give me your opinion.

(And no I don’t hate our country or anything…okay maybe sometimes… but I’m really just talking about the FLAG IMAGE in terms of rock band aesthetics!!)

None of these were part of the image, long-term, but these come to mind:

It’s a riff on the American flag’s “stars,” but Sly & The Family Stone “There's A Riot Goin' On.”

The coffin-drapes on Husker Du’s “Land Speed Record.”

Black Crowes’ “Amorica.”



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2023 10:33PM by Five*Words.

The Grateful Dead: Live/Dead

The Black Crowes' Amorica made memorable use of the American flag by way of Hustler magazine. Don't know if they tied that imagery into a subsequent tour or anything because I've never given anything more than 2% of a shit about the Black Crowes. But they are an official TP band.

I feel like Bono draped himself in an American flag on stage quite a bit during the height of U2's Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum "We're pretending to care about the Blues to keep Keith Richards from talking shit about us" era, but I don't think it ever became an integral part of their branding.

Bono also incorporated the American flag into U2's stage shows during the Elevation Tour, immediately following 9/11. He took to wearing a leather jacket with the Stars & Stripes as the lining. I recall that this brought him a lot more heat than draping himself in the flag in the late '80s.

As for other bands utilizing the Stars & Stripes ... I think you're more likely to see a Southern band showing off the Confederate flag, the way Lynyrd Skynyrd has for years.

I was in London for one school term, and I remember the first day I was there, I ended up watching some news footage of American football or rugby players crying during the U.S. national anthem, and the two British guys I was with (not acquaintances, both at least a full generation apart) cracked it was "SO American." Maybe it's more about how those respective symbols are usually perceived by their own countrymen?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2023 10:45AM by belfast.