Black Flag (band)

Lore & Background

Black Flag was initially called Panic, formed by Greg Ginn and Keith Morris. Chuck Dukowski joined on bass, and the band changed its name to Black Flag in late 1978, suggested by Ginn's brother Raymond Pettibon, who also designed the band's logo of four black bars. The band spray-painted the logo across Los Angeles, attracting attention from both supporters and the police. Their first recording, the Nervous Breakdown EP, was released in 1979 on Ginn's label SST Records. Morris quit in 1979 and was replaced by Ron Reyes, then Dez Cadena, before Henry Rollins joined as lead singer in 1981. The band broke up in 1986, reunited in 2003 and again in 2013, the latter reunion resulting in a legal dispute between Ginn's version (Black Flag) and a version called FLAG featuring Morris, Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson. Both versions were allowed to exist and tour.

Reader's Guide

Black Flag's significance lies in their foundational role in hardcore punk and post-hardcore, and their tireless promotion of a DIY punk ethic. Their sound mixed the raw simplicity of the Ramones with atonal guitar soloing and frequent tempo shifts. Lyrics, mostly by Ginn, voiced anti-authoritarian and nonconformist messages, exploring social isolation, neurosis, poverty, and paranoia. They incorporated elements of heavy metal, free jazz, and contemporary classical music, and played longer, more complex songs at a time when peers played a fast, three-chord format. Through constant touring across the United States, Canada, and occasionally Europe, they built a dedicated cult following. Their independent label SST Records became a model for underground do-it-yourself record labels. The band's notoriety and sound evolved throughout the 1980s, and they are considered a key influence on punk subculture in the United States and abroad.

Did You Know?

• Black Flag was originally called Panic, changing their name in late 1978 to avoid confusion with another band.
• The band's logo of four black bars was designed by Greg Ginn's brother, Raymond Pettibon, who said 'If a white flag means surrender, a black flag represents anarchy.'
• Black Flag's first recording, the Nervous Breakdown EP, was the debut release on Ginn's SST Records.
• In 2013, a legal dispute resulted in two versions of the band: Black Flag (with Ginn) and FLAG (with Morris, Dukowski, and Stevenson).