Your favorite Swedish hardcore punk band, Refused, took Washington, DC, last week for the very last time. And as one could expect, it was a bittersweet occasion packed with rebellious spirit and 18 standout tracks!
What did Dennis Lyxzén and Co. have up their sleeves for the Refused Are F**king Dead (and This Time They Really Mean It) North America tour? Anything and everything. They opened with “Poetry Written in Gasoline,” played live for the first time ever, and continued with punk anthems like “The Refused Party Program,” “Rather Be Dead,” and “Pump the Brakes.”
There was also a performance of “Blind” after a whopping 22 years, which drew in more applause from the crowd than we could have imagined. Better late than never, right? Since Refused has insisted that this will be their farewell tour (after several fake-outs), they’re pulling out all the stops. And fans from near and far arrived at The Atlantic to bid them adieu.
You see, Refused has had several hiatuses since forming in Sweden back in 1991. Their initial breakup happened in 1998, shortly after releasing their critically-acclaimed record, The Shape of Punk to Come. They rode on the high of that album and previous favorites for many years before reuniting briefly in 2012. However, they had to disband again when Lyxzén faced some health issues.
Finally, they came back together in 2014, and have toured on and off since. It’s been an exciting decade getting a front row seat for one of the European punk rock greats. However, all good things must come to an end…and they announced the “Refused Are F**king Dead” tour for 2025 with a cheeky “And This Time We Really Mean It” message. What else is there to say?
The band ended the night with a 3-song encore — including “Coup d'état,” “Circle Pit,” and “Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull.” And while the crowd was sad to see Refused disappear into the night for the last time, it was also a joyous celebration of punk rock at its finest. Are you ready to relive the night with the Swedish punkers? See the full Refused setlist from Washington, DC here.
