And here you have it, our very own PROTEST BAND!

[anarchy1999]

Nathan’s 21st Century take on the protest song

A jazz musician, an economics graduate and now a protest singer asking the American public to rid itself of one George W. Bush, Nathan Berg is the outspoken yet intelligent lead singer of protest group Halliburton, who visit Ireland and Sligo for the first time on June 17. Robert Cullen explores the forces that drive Nathan to be America’s musical conscience.

Nathan Berg is anything but your typical protest singer. A genre which reached its height in the 60s and has since struggled to recapture old glories, it is far removed from the work of Nathan and his band, Halliburton.
At age 15, Berg attended the music program at University of North Texas (of Norah Jones fame) before moving to New York City and performing with jazz greats John Scofield, Clark Terry, Terrance Blanchard, Stephen Scott and JJ Johnson.
Berg also backed show biz legends Steve Allen, Shirley Jones and Bernadette Peters.
At age 17, Berg debuted as a leader and composer, signing with Time Is Records and releasing “Fish With No Fins”. Immediately he was darling of the jazz world.
Critic Leonard Feather described him as “a bass phenomenon.” In a rave review of a concert in New York, critic Ira Gitler lauded the then 17-year-old bassist’s virtuosity.
The Hollywood Reporter extolled Berg’s “fresh-sounding solos” while the International Musician entitled an article about the rapidly-rising player, “Youth Jazz Prodigy!”
Surprising those who had followed his rise in the jazz world, Berg turned his attention to rock music in the early 90s.
In 1992 he returned to his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas and founded a Frank Zappa inspired rock band, Fang O’Love.
The band quickly established a loyal following and performed throughout the early 1990s to enthusiastic college audiences around the Midwest.
At the same time as pursuing a successful career in jazz and rock music, Berg has also maintained a career in academia, graduating with a PhD in Economics.
He is currently a faculty member at the University of Texas, Dallas.
Disillusioned with the growing interference in world affairs by America, Berg formed a group and called them Halliburton.
The name comes from a company, the Halliburton Corporation who, in Berg’s words “made a name for themselves through business practices that include price gouging, kickbacks, bribes, and illegal trading”.
He continued. “So, in response to everything they stole from the US taxpayer, we stole their name for our band. It was the least we could do.”
While most bands try for a record deal, Halliburton try instead to elect a new leader of the Free World. Halliburton is at the forefront of contemporary protest rock.
With lyrics on Iraq, corporate sleaze, tax cuts, health care, joblessness, and corruption, Halliburton’s latest collection of songs combines edgy, funky, finger-popping grooves with a provocative and inspiring brand of patriotism that doesn’t hesitate to confront real-world problems.
Halliburton have gained major recognition and following in their hometown of Dallas Texas; despite it being the heartland of Bush Neo-Conservatism.
They are a regular feature at Democratic peace rallies and were recently covered by US television playing a protest rally in front of the headquarters of Halliburton Corporation.

http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=18183