[Click for larger image.] I was lucky enough to see Black Flag play live a number of times in the '80s, around the time Glen E. Friedman shot the photo that graces this book's cover. I was an underage teen sneaking into grownup punk clubs, high on moshpit fumes (and, truth be told, lots else). The band, and that subculture that surrounded them, changed my life. Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag
Snip from observations by writer Joe Carducci, who was long associated with SST Records (some links added):
"[The book is] very well reported and assembled by Brit music writer Stevie Chick, author of the better of the recent Sonic Youth books
Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag
Here's a related post on photographer Glen E. Friedman's blog.
You may also be interested in some of Carducci's own writings on the subject of music and fandom.
After the jump: Glen E. Friedman shares an exclusive sneak peek at the back cover, with an '80s photo of Greg Ginn.
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damn. i may have to get this book. i remember being a young queer punk in the early 80's (though honestly, i was only as hardcore as my suburban upbringing allowed.)
but i have very fond memories of screaming "f*** this city! run by pigs!"
and now i have cousins and friends who work for the PD and the DA.
how things change!
Thanks for the head's up about this book, Xeni! ^_^
Who's the hot but terribly angry-looking young man on the cover? I'm sure his name has been mentioned, but I can't find any reference to which one appears in that picture. Not on the photog's blog, either.
That is Henry Rollins, the last singer for the band. He's got a show on IFC I think, and his spoken word tours are great fun.
@Xopher, it's Henry Rollins.
Xopher, That's Henry Rollins ... and every time I've seen him on TV, he's always been rather 'pumped up' about something or other ....
MY WAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!
Xopher: it's Henry Rollins.
Thank you everyone. It's Henry Rollins, I'm told. Now where have I heard that name before? (No, don't answer, I'll go looking. More fun that way.)
i've got to say that i always prefered dez to henry.
also, there's a a release called "black flag - the first four years" that covers the pre-henry era. keith morris from circle jerks puts in an appearance on the first ep.
good times!
Don't forget the Chinese knockoff shirts.
I was kid growing up in rural Ohio right about the time Black Flag was breaking up. Although I didn't have a chance to sneak into any shows then, every time I managed to get a ride to the book and record stores surrounding Ohio State's campus, about an hour away, I always made sure to flip through Hardcore California. Friedman's photos of the California punk scene gave me a glimpse of an amazing world that existed beyond the cornfields of the one I was stuck in, and inspired me to find out more about it. Friedman's photos (and those of the equally awesome Ed Culver and F. Stop Fitzgerald) changed my life just as much as Black Flag's music did.
The question may not be applicable given that everything's accessible these days in a way that was unimaginable ca. 1983, but anyhow: What artists who are doing their most vital work underground (if such a thing still exists in this context) today will find widespread mainstream appeal and critical admiration in 20 or 25 years? Who are the Black Flags, SST's and Raymond Pettibons of today?
It'd be interesting to do a side-by-side with this and Rollins' book Get in the Van (of which I have a signed copy--woot!).
Why isn't Dez on the cover?
fwiw.. i first saw BF in the "chavo era" [*] by way of decline of western civilization. for me and some of my friends, that was a seminal moment; it gave name to the expression of our angst.
by the time i actually saw BF live, it was rollins fronting the band. i have to say it took a while to warm up to him, but i have to admit, he's pretty effing awesome.
* - oh hell. that _was_ chavo in DoWC, right? my memories from this time frame are a little hazy.
What an exciting guy he would be to know! Scary though. But a good one, too: he's done USO tours in Iraq and supports (with more than words) gay rights and marriage equality.
I was never a fan of punk rock, so this is my introduction to Henry Rollins and Black Flag.
Rollins has possibly the best radio show in the entire world called Harmony In My Head on KCRW in Santa Monica, CA.
Xeni, you were definitely underage, but I think you were younger than "Teen" when you saw Black Flag in LA...
@sum.zero
Agreed, Dez > Henry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJswad9hfA sounds like it was taken off the boards, pretty good quality, more visceral than the album version
I was fortunate to see Black Flag a number of times, starting when the singer was Chavo, then Dez, then Henry. Young Henry was even scarier than he is now!
another vote for Dez - totally. He should be on the cover as well. Even Chavo :).
Eight-year-olds, Dude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJswad9hfA sounds like it was taken off the boards, pretty good quality, more visceral than the album version
You mean there were American punk bands other than Green Day?
Really, Greg Ginn should be on the cover. Nevertheless, I will buy this book. I've been looking for John Joseph's autobiography, but this has just taken priority.
What do they know about partying...or anything else?
Can't wait to read this... I can imagine a young Xeni, slamming away!
John Napsterista, re: your comment about the underground... I think you make an interesting point. I've been thinking the same, but maybe "underground" just functions in a different way than it used to? People can easily make connections with like-minded happy mutants anywhere... Underground no longer depends on local communities in the same way? Also, I just picked up HC California, and it's an interesting read. Great pictures (and it came out in the early 80s, too).
And yeah, Boba Fett, I agree about Ginn being on the cover... But most people think of Rollins when they think of BF. He was the most recognizable and still is, really (despite coming into the band late, etc).
AN Important Band... in American punk history
People always think punk began and ended whenever they discovered it :)
I will definitely be checking this out too.
@Freddie, um... thanks but no, and it wasn't in LA.
These are all terrific, informed comments -- I'm amazed at how many of you shared some of the same fandom as I, back in that day.
Black Flag is the most important American punk band in history? Perhaps one of the most important Californian punk bands, if you choose to neglect Dead Kennedys.
There was (and is) more to the punk scene than what happened in Southern California... Have you ever seen The Ramones?
And with another BLACK FLAG related book coming in 2010...
barredforlife.net
www.myspace.com/barredforlife
www.barred4life.blogspot.com
Run to the shop and get your Bars tattoo...
!¡!¡
For a time during the eighties I thought Henry Rollins and Tim Rollins were the same person, and was mightily impressed by this punk rocker and cutting edge visual artist.
Sweet. Flag's work ethic is an inspiration to me to this day. Always wanted to hear Dukowski's side of things.
green day is NOT a punk band, they're pop drek.
Rollins books are worth a read. And the film of his spoken word performance in Jerusalem is hilarious -Rollins with his tats with a yarmulke at the western wall.
35 dollars and a six pack to my name!
Henry Rollins is great in Johnny Mnemonic a movie everyone should reconsider.
Love how Amazon thinks the band is over 100 years old.
"They were the pioneers of American hardcore, forming in California in 1878 and splitting up 8 years later.."
Ginn should totally be on the cover. Or better yet, a shot of Ginn and Chuck.
Really, Greg Ginn should be on the cover.
he's on the back cover!
Green day would get their collectice asses handed to them by the punk bands of old.
Ginn is on the back cover, Friedman says he pushed for Ginn on the front really hard, but alas the publishers always do what they want. Look at Friedman's blog to see the back cover, he's got it on there somewhere, and also says there's a bunch of great pix of EVERY band member in the two photo sections of the book. Mine's ordered, still not arrived.
This looks great. I really enjoyed 'Get in the Van', which is Rollins take on being in Black Flag, but this should be great because Dukowski will give his side of things.
The one thing I won't ever forgive my Mom for is preventing me from seeing Black Flag when I was a kid. Granted I was 12, but still...
(putting on my punk historian hat) Hi Lesbianjesus and Otterson: I have to argue for the importance of BF, here, though I agree, they aren't the only important, but I think that the HC cohort is incredibly important over all, historically. I think that the SoCal bands, specifically, the OC bands were instrumental, (along with the San Fran. scene, yes, of course) in helping to create the recognizable structures in the 80s (zines, tape trading, indie labels, touring - you have to admit for touring, BF was amazing - few bands toured more extensively from the West Coast scenes; in that case, BF sort of trumps DK, in spreading the gospel of HC) for much of the American independent scene that most of us were engaged with the in 1980s and early 90s (which got "discovered" by the majors/mtv in the 1990s). The Hollywood 50 (which gave us bands like X, the Germs, the bags, and Black Randy) are important, as they motivated these suburban kids (and props must be given to Rodney of the ROQ, too). The most successful of that cohort was X, who ended up getting produced by Ray Manzarek on their first indie release, which led to them having a good career on majors. Even frontier records started out putting out HC bands (Circle Jerks, Group sex, was their second release). But the HC scene in California really went outside the major label system and we probably wouldn't have had the number of alternatives to the major label system in the states that we do now (though, the UK scene might have proved a motivating factor, check out Alex Ogg's book, Independent Days for a history of UK indie labels). That's what I think anyway... (takes off the punk historian hat).
That's Henry Rollins deary. He's now almost 50. But I can say without a doubt, he'd still f*** your brains out and still have energy, stamina, and endurance to climb a mountain.
Between Black Flag and Ramones it's a toss-up but my vote is for Black Flag.
Dead Kennedys doesn't really enter the conversation. Jello Biafra wrote (writes?) very powerful poetry but what about the music?
Between Black Flag and Ramones it's a toss-up but my vote is for Black Flag.
Dead Kennedys don't really enter the conversation. Jello Biafra wrote (writes?) very powerful poetry but what about the music?
>but what about the music?
..and the law suits over royalties.
prefer X or Wall of Voodoo as bands, liked the black flag spoken word stuff, "ppl live and die in these apartment compartments" can't remember the name. the ramones were just a pig headed belief that they just had to keep playing the same thing and somehow magically they'd get rich.
But I can say without a doubt, he'd still f*** your brains out and still have energy, stamina, and endurance to climb a mountain.
From your lips to the gods' ears! But I think the guy is straight, alas for me and all my gay brothers.
Oops, I wasn't trying to compliment you, I was subtracting the wrong numbers. I was off by a year or three, depending on the Bio.
This is more than music and so much more than punk...
... this is hardcore.
I just got my copy of SPRAY PAINT THE WALLS the story of BLACK FLAG. I can't put it down. It's funny but as I was reading it, all the smells and sounds and images came pouring back. little things like watching Greg string that old Dan Armstron Guitar and how he would break his strings in. Like Gary wiping the sweat off... of his brow during rehersals and trips to the liqure store with him to buy cheap ass american beer. Robo's snearing look pouring over the drums as he spoke primarily through body language. Keith and Joe Nolte and all the guys. I must say that I'm still doubtfull about the brick upside Dez's head part of the story. That just does not ring true at all. but I could be wrong as the rest of the story seams sort of acurate and God knows i was drunk as a skunk at the time. Thanks to Stevie Chick for giving me an oportunity to add my 2 cents worth. Black Flag was awsome from begining to end, the good bad and the ugly were all there. No one can take that away from us. Buy the book!
Ron Reyes
I got turned on to BF I guess around 1982 (when i was 13) when I rented the beta tape Decline of the Western Civilization. Up until that point I had listened to stuff like Rush, Sabbath, Captain Beyond, Maiden, and other nwobhm bands. When I saw BF, Germs, and Circle Jerks, it changed my whole life. It's sad that kids don't have stuff like this to be inspired by. I can only imagine what music in the future will sound like, there is NOTHING out there worth listening to, which means there is nothing to influence this generation. Music is dead.