Black Flag | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Hermosa Beach, California, United States |
Genres | Hardcore punk |
Years active | 1976–1986 2003 2013–present |
Members |
Greg Ginn Mike Vallely Brandon Pertzborn Tyler Smith |
Past members |
Keith Morris Raymond Pettibon Brian Migdol Kansas Glen "Spot" Lockett Dez Cadena Robo Chuck Dukowski Henry Rollins Bill Stevenson Emil Johnson Chuck Biscuits Kira Roessler Anthony Martinez C'el Revuelta Ron Reyes Dave Klein Gregory Moore |
Black Flag is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California by Greg Ginn, the band's guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole constant member. During Black Flag's ten-year existence, the band went through sixteen distinct lineups involving seventeen different musicians. Aside from Ginn, the longest-lasting members were singer Henry Rollins (5 years), bassist Chuck Dukowski (4½ years), and drummer Roberto "Robo" Valverde (3 years). The 1983–1985 lineup of Ginn, Rollins, bassist Kira Roessler, and drummer Bill Stevenson recording four albums and three EPs together in a sixteen-month period. After breaking up in 1986 and briefly reuniting in 2003, Black Flag announced another reunion in January 2013. Two versions of Black Flag are currently touring; the Ginn-fronted band known as "Black Flag", and one featuring founding vocalist Keith Morris known simply as "Flag".
Ginn formed the band with singer Keith Morris in the summer of 1976. Ginn's younger brother Raymond—known later by his pseudonym Raymond Pettibon—played bass guitar with them in early rehearsals but soon bowed out of the group to focus on his college education. To fill out the rhythm section Morris recruited some of his friends, whom he described as "scruffy beach rat types who were more interested in getting laid and finding drugs than really playing". By early 1977 these included a bassist known only as "Kansas" and drummer Brian Migdol, though both would frequently skip rehearsals. The band originally called themselves Panic. Ginn's friend Glenn Lockett, also known as Spot, played bass guitar with the group during rehearsals in early 1977.Würm bassist Gary McDaniel, who later adopted the pseudonym Chuck Dukowski, began sitting in with the band and soon became their permanent bassist. Spot became a recording engineer and record producer, recording the band's releases over the next eight years and working with many of the other bands on Ginn and Dukowski's independent record label SST. Panic changed their name to Black Flag in 1978, and released their debut EP Nervous Breakdown in January 1979.