Black Flag (music group)
Black Flag is widely recognized as one of the most influential hardcore punk bands in music history. Formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California, the band emerged as a response to the mainstream music of the time, drawing inspiration from early punk bands like The Ramones. Known for their intense live performances and darkly poetic lyrics, Black Flag carved out a significant niche in the punk scene through relentless touring and prolific album releases. The band's lineup saw multiple changes, notably with Henry Rollins becoming their most famous vocalist during their most successful period, which included the critically acclaimed album "Damaged."
Despite achieving some level of success, Black Flag faced numerous challenges, including legal disputes over their name and struggles with their evolving sound, which sometimes alienated longtime fans. After breaking up in 1986, the band members pursued various projects, with some reuniting sporadically in the early 2010s. This led to the formation of two entities: Black Flag, led by founding member Greg Ginn, and FLAG, created by former members including Keith Morris. Both bands have since coexisted, with Black Flag touring as of 2024, featuring a new lineup and continuing their legacy within the punk genre.
Black Flag (music group)
Black Flag was one of the most influential and popular hardcore punk bands of all time. Based on the West Coast, the band was known for its intense and fast-paced live performances, dark lyrics, prolific album releases and constant touring. Black Flag broke up in 1986 but has reunited on several occasions.
Founding and Early Years
Black Flag was founded in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Its founding member, guitarist Greg Ginn, became the band's primary songwriter and organizer. Black Flag formed as a reaction against the popular music of the era, including The Eagles, and was influenced by the early East Coast punk band The Ramones. In its early years, Black Flag toured aggressively and continually churned out new material.
In its early years, Black Flag was not financially successful. Band members lived out of their van, squatted, and stayed in fans' homes while touring. Because they could not afford a proper PA (public-address) system for vocals, they built their own out of spare parts. Despite these difficulties, however, Black Flag's fan base grew quickly through word of mouth and promotion. In 1979, vocalist Keith Morris left the band, marking the end of its earliest incarnation.
Success and Line-Up Changes
Keith Morris was quickly replaced by vocalist Ron Reyes, who can be heard on the band's earliest single, "Jealous Again." However, Reyes' tenure with the band was short-lived—he quit the following year in the middle of a show in Redondo Beach. He was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Dez Cadena, but Cadena wanted to stop singing and focus on guitar-playing after only a year. The band eventually settled on a new singer—Henry Rollins, who became Black Flag's most famous vocalist.
With Rollins, Black Flag finished recording its first full album, Damaged,which attracted the attention of Unicorn Records. The label agreed to distribute the band's album—but it broke its agreement because of financial troubles. In response, several Black Flag members founded their own label, SST Records, to distribute the album. This led to a long legal battle between the two labels during which Black Flag was unable to use its own name.
Damaged was incredibly successful and critics still regard it as one of the most important albums in the history of punk. It fused East Coast punk styles with their West Coast counterparts and incorporated the dark sound of early heavy metal. Ginn's lyrics and guitar work coupled with Rollins' emotional vocal delivery were viewed as a welcome advancement to the genre.
After its lawsuit with Unicorn was resolved, Black Flag was allowed to continue releasing records. However, instead of sticking with its original style, the band experimented with new sounds. Its albumMy War received mixed reviews. Black Flag had intended it to be a continuation of Damaged but also used it as an outlet for experimentation. Additionally, My War's sound had been influenced by a variety of musician changes during the lawsuit. The band's bassist left due because of conflicts with the rest of the band, and its drummer was denied reentry into the United States after a European Tour in 1981 due to problems with his work visa.
Black Flag continued to experiment—mostly unsuccessfully—with new sounds in its other albums, straying away from traditional hardcore punk. During 1984, it released Family Man, Live in '84, and Slip It In. The following year, Black Flag released the albums Loose Nut and In My Head. While the band gained new fans, many old fans were upset and dissatisfied with the new releases. Black Flag toured continuously but failed to include many old hits in its set lists. Black Flag also suffered from constant line-up changes, leaving Ginn as the only original member left in the band.
Break-Ups and Reunions
Black Flag released one more album in 1986, Who's Got the 10 1/2?, before it broke up. In a move that surprised the rest of the band, songwriter Ginn called vocalist Rollins, and simply stated that he was leaving the band. Ginn had been considered Black Flag's driving force, and the band quickly disbanded after his resignation. Many of the original members moved on to other projects, and Ginn focused on running SST Records.
Several Black Flag members, including former vocalist Keith Morris, reunited at a party in the early 2010s. They quickly decided to play a few Black Flag songs, and Ginn discussed recording a new record. Morris and Ginn quickly committed to the plan, and Ginn released the album What The… in 2013. However, personal disagreements between Morris and Ginn quickly led to Morris's removal from the band.
Morris gathered several other former Black Flag members and began to tour the country as FLAG, an act dedicated to performing early Black Flag songs like those of the 1980s. Because FLAG was comprised almost entirely of former Black Flag members, many fans considered FLAG a more authentic representation of the early band than Black Flag, which had only Ginn. Ginn, the sole copyright holder of the Black Flag name and logo, quickly filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates. However, the judge ruled against Ginn, and allowed FLAG to continue touring. Both bands eventually learned to coexist in harmony. Black Flag began its First Four Years Tour in May 2024. The band planned to tour throughout the United States and in Canada and Mexico. However, Ginn was the only founding band member. The new version of the band included singer Mike Vallely, drummer Charles Wiley, and bassist Austin Sears.
Bibliography
Cummins, Jonathan. "Black Flag Vs. Flag: How Dormant Hardcore Punk Legends Suddenly Became Two Legit Bands." Huffpost Music. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/13/black-flag-flag-reunion‗n‗3165428.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Discogs.com. "Black Flag." Discogs.com. Discogs. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. http://www.discogs.com/artist/253278-Black-Flag. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Black Flag." AllMusic. AllMusic.com. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/black-flag-mn0000091650/biography. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Koithan, Stephanie. "Punk Trailblazers Black Flag Playing San Antonio's Paper Tiger in December." San Antonio Current, 8 Nov. 2024, www.sacurrent.com/music/punk-trailblazers-black-flag-playing-san-antonios-paper-tiger-in-december-36020576. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Toth, Jason. "Deconstructing: Black Flag, FLAG, and Punk Nostalgia." StereoGum. Spin Media. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. http://www.stereogum.com/1392851/deconstructing-black-flag-flag-and-punk-nostalgia/franchises/deconstructing/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.