I've Had It: The Sorry State of Black Flag

This is certainly up for debate, but in most fans’ estimation hardcore punk’s ground zero can be found in October of 1978. That month, an inauspicious Southern California electronics company called Solid State Transmitters morphed into SST Records and released the first salvo from what would make up one of the best runs of any record label in any genre ever: Black Flag’s debut EP Nervous Breakdown. With SST founder Greg Ginn on guitar and Chuck Dukowski and Brian Migdol filling out the rhythm section, the young band proved themselves an immediate and exciting force in the world of punk. Frontman Keith Morris found the perfect balance of snotty and intimidating, fashioning his own gritty style out of the remains of Johnny Rotten.[1] It isn’t too surprising that his charisma and amazing voice have allowed him to sustain the most satisfying post-Black Flag career of any member.

Black Flag's Dueling Reunions

So Black Flag is back. More accurately, there are two Black Flags running around right now. Unsurprisingly, they’re feuding already, and it’s difficult to decide which version of the group is more promising. Original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris is heading up FLAG, which also features Bill Stevenson and Chuck Dukowski, both of whom played with Black Flag during the band’s original run. Descendants guitarist Stephen Egerton is filling in for Black Flag’s founding and only constant member Greg Ginn, and Black Flag guitarist/third vocalist Dez Cadena recently joined FLAG as well. Ginn, who owns the name Black Flag, announced the band’s reformation soon after FLAG booked their first shows, is working at a clear disadvantage. First off, Black Flag currently has fewer original members than FLAG, with only Ginn and the band’s second vocalist Ron Reyes returning for this endeavor. Still, Ginn has taken aim at FLAG for “currently covering the songs of Black Flag in an embarrassingly weak 'mailing it in' fashion”—a claim that can probably also be levied at the current incarnation of Black Flag since there is only one 7” EP worth of material with Reyes on vocals, so their shows are going to inevitably sound like the work of a cover band too. [1] There are a few more red flags with Ginn and Reyes’ group. First, nearly every musical project Ginn has done over the last twenty years has ranged in quality from pretty bad to terrible, and his long succession of vanity projects basically tanked SST Records. Second, Reyes was Black Flag’s third best vocalist. He was still good (as was Cadena, who comes in at number four out of four), but having Morris (the band’s second best singer)[2] on vocals clearly gives FLAG an edge. Also, having two of Black Flag’s four vocalists gives FLAG three EPs to draw non-cover material from (the incredible Nervous Breakdown, the very good Six Pack, and the excellent “Louie, Louie” single) to Ginn/Reyes’ one.