I knew they’d be good but the band really exceeded my expectations. blends in seamlessly and has that aggressive Rollin’s vibe. Unbound from conventional form, it's what genuine art sounds like. Hearing it performed live takes it to a whole new level. Ginn's atonal guitar work is what makes Black Flag's sound unique. The band was tight and did not disappoint in the least. Vallely's “ Barnyard” deck is universally acknowledged as the forerunner of the modern “popsicle stick” shape. His aggressive and innovative street skating would be forever immortalized in the skate videos "The Search For Animal Chin" & "Public Domain." He literally helped to shape a new era of skateboarding by changing the actual shape of skateboards.
Black flag members professional#
is a professional skateboarder that was sponsored by the legendary Powell Peralta in the late 80’s. I was stoked to hear that Mike Vallely would be the front-man for this line up. Greg Ginn’s Black Flag rolled through Gainesville in January. I’ve seen both versions and both bands are truly amazing. In the other corner is FLAG, led by the original frontman Keith Morris, bassist Chuck Dukowski, former vocalist/rhythm guitarist Dez Cadena, and drummer Bill Stevenson. In one corner there’s Black Flag, led by guitarist and chief songwriter Greg Ginn and frontman Mike Vallely. Lawsuits, court cases, name calling and drama would further scar the band and drive a wedge deep between the members as they fought for control of trademarks, royalties and that infamous logo.Īfter the legal dust settled we were left with 2 versions of the band. In 1986 the band broke up and years of fighting ensued. The Black Flag that plucked a young Henry Rollins out of a Hagen Daaz in DC, where he worked with Ian MacKaye, and gave him the mic. The Black Flag that shared members with The Circle Jerks, Descendents, Danzig, The Misfits, Social Distortion & D.O.A. THAT is the Black Flag that I choose to remember.
They went to jail for releasing their own music! Ginn, and bass player/ label co-owner Dukowski were arrested and spent a week in the LA County Jail. This didn’t sit well with Ginn and he released the album “Everything Went Black” on his own label (SST). A lawsuit ensued and the band was blocked from releasing their music. In 1981, Black Flag signed a distribution deal with MCA Records affiliate Unicorn to release their debut album, “Damaged.” After the contract was signed, MCA decided that the album was too “anti-parent” and refused to release it. SST would also release albums from a staggering number of bands including Bad Brains, Dinosaur Jr, Descendents, Minutemen, Husker Du, Soundgarden & Sonic Youth. They booked their own tours and even started a record label called SST to release their music. This further pushed the band to become pioneers of the DIY movement. Club owners and promoters were afraid to deal with the backlash. It became increasingly hard for Black Flag to book any shows. The LAPD went as far as tapping their phones and posing as homeless people outside the SST office. When asked about this, Pettibon stated "If a white flag means surrender, a black flag represents anarchy.”Įarly Black Flag shows often ended in violence involving the Los Angles Police Department. He not only named the band but came up with the logo. His show flyers and album artwork poked the sleeping bear that was the LAPD. Greg Ginn’s younger brother, Raymond Pettibon, is responsible for the imagery attached to the band. Punk was new and the mainstream just didn’t get it. If you had blue hair or a mohawk forty years ago you were probably going to get your ass kicked at the mall or anywhere else for that matter. Back then you couldn’t get your mom to drive you to the Oaks Mall to get blue hair dye and designer combat boots at Hot Topic. That is a testament to what this band did for American Hardcore Punk music and what they mean to the masses of fans that identify with every atonal chord they've struck.īlack Flag exploded onto the LA punk scene in 1979 and immediately scared the shit out of everyone. I can’t even begin to tell you how many Black Flag tattoos I’ve seen in my lifetime. They've been spray painted onto walls across the world and scrawled onto the spiked denim and leather jackets of punks for the last 40 years.