White Flag (band)
| White Flag | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Inland Empire, California, United States |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Gasatanka Records |
| Members | Jello B. Afro Mike Mess Trace Element |
| Past members | See below |
White Flag is an American punk rock band currently based in Los Angeles. Their current lineup consists of frontman Mike Mess (guitar), Jello B. Afro (bass), and Trace Element (drums). All of these members have been in the band since 1982, though many have rotated in and out. White Flag has an extensive discography that ranges from their 1982 debut R is for Rocket to 2010's Benefit For Cats.
White Flag formed in 1982 in Sunnymead, an unincorporated area of California's Inland Empire now called Moreno Valley. They played their first shows that year (the second and third of which were later included on their "S Is For Space – 25th Anniversary De Luxe Edition"). The band's name is itself a play on the name of iconic hardcore band Black Flag and is meant as a parody on punk rock elitism. Similarly, the punk rock names of band members were chosen to resemble those of Jello Biafra, Mike Ness, and Pat Smear, each an icon of the California punk scene in their own right.
In a 1983 Flipside interview, guitarist Pat Fear noted:
"People give us a lot of shit for being called 'White Flag' and that we're ripping off Black Flag and all the Black Flag bros in Long Beach want to kill us — but the truth is Black Flag are our friends, Henry is like our biggest fan. So why are these Black Flag people trying to kick our asses?
The band recorded two albums in 1982, R is for Rocket and S is for Space, the latter being released in 1983. After playing numerous shows around California, the band toured Europe for their first time in 1986, and released a live EP from that tour titled "Bleedin' in Sweden".
In 2006 White Flag toured in Italy for the first time. As a souvenir of the group's first visit, they band released a limited edition, hand numbered 8 song 10" vinyl album, on Roma based RARO! Records, entitled "Piangi Con Me", which is now out of print.
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