Black Flag

Black Flag: Live DVDLive DVD (2000)
Black Flag

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

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Contributed by: BrandonSideleauBrandonSideleau
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Published on December 9th 2003Well, many of you have an opinion of Black Flag, and even more of you have an opinion about certain eras in Black Flag's history...but I could honestly give a shit about your opinion. So, without the explaining of history and what not I'll cut to the chase. This the full, unedited taping of a Bla.

Well, many of you have an opinion of Black Flag, and even more of you have an opinion about certain eras in Black Flag's history...but I could honestly give a shit about your opinion. So, without the explaining of history and what not I'll cut to the chase.

This the full, unedited taping of a Black Flag concert in England during the 1984 My War tour. Rollins is obviously on vocals, Greg on guitar, Bill Stevenson on drums, and Kira on Bass. So, let's start with the concert itself. The show starts with Rollins quoting a facinating line from Henry Miller, which really made me think, and I thought that was pretty cool. Immediately after Rollins finishes, the band breaks into "Nervous Breakdown". Now, on this certain song I think Keith Morris was best suited for the vocal.....but Rollins definitely shows it good justice here. He's jumping around and screaming the lyrics to his hearts content....and he does a great job. Next is the song "Can't Decide", which is much better suited for Henry's vocal style. It's a great song with the unforgetable line "I always wear a smile, cause anything but a smile would make me have to explain....what I can't explain anyway." Rollins loses his black shirt on this track and really starts to break into the performance. They go on to play a mass majority of My War & Slip It In tracks...with a few of the first four years mixed in as well.

Some highlights include Rollins' complete freak out during "My Ghetto" and a brutal version of "Rat's Eyes" which, when played live, actually can hold up to the majority of earlier Black Flag material as well. They play 2 of the 3 slow songs off My War here...."Three Nights" and "Nothing Left Inside" and....as usual...these songs come off much heavier and a bit faster than on the album itself. They are, despite popular opinion, very powerful and overwhelming songs. Another impressive track is "Forevertime"....which features Rollins at his most manic. I also found that I much perfer Rollins instead of Chavo for the song "Jealous Again", Henry adds a much needed does of intensity to it. The 16 song setlist is as follows-

Opeing credits- Obliteration (Instrumental)
1.) Nervous Breakdown
2.) Can't Decide
3.) Slip It In
4.) My Ghetto
5.) Black Coffee
6.) Forevertime
7.) Six Pack
8.) My War
9.) Jealous Again
10.) I Love You
11.) The Swinging Man
12.) Three Nights
13.) Nothing Left Inside
14.) Fix Me
15.) Wound Up
16.) Rat's Eyes
Closing Credits- Obliteration (Instrumental)

Overall this is an amazing performance from the most primal and brutal band of all time. Another interesting note would be that during this concert there were very few of the infamous Black Flag audience altercations. One tall, drunk guy was trying to feel Rollins up at one point and a few weak punkers in the front row yelled some inaudible obscenties at Rollins during Rat's Eyes......but nothing serious. The whole thing ends with Rollins telling the two kids that he doesn't care what they think and that they don't make him feel bad about himself.

Now, on to the technical portion of this DVD.....it is very lite on extras. There is a discography section, a Cherry Red catalogue and scene selection....along with a creepy shot of Rollins on the Menu screen....but nothing else. The quality of the video is the best of any Black Flag video I have seen (with the exception of some of the live clips off of "Reality 86'd" which are of better quality than this), but the quality is far from perfect. It is in color and everyone is nice and visible, but at times it seems that there is a very green tint to the video...which may be due to its old age. Sonically it's a mixed bag as well.....Rollins vocals are at the forefront of the mix.....it sounds like he's screaming at you from inside your T.V.....so he sounds great. But Greg & company are a bit underappreciated here, with their playing very audible....but a bit muffled and pushed into the background. These aren't major complaints.....it takes very little away from the experience.

I would call this DVD a must buy for any Black Flag fan and anybody who is a fan of hardcore punk or punk metal should definitely check this out as well. The show is top notch and the DVD does a reasonable job of restoring this age old concert footage. Until Greg decides to ease up and give the creators of "Reality 86'd" a break, this is the best we're gonna get. In comparison to the other "Live '84" video from the Stone in San Francisco...which was only released on VHS....this DVD blows the extremely poor video quality of that one out of the water.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (September 24, 2004)

Six Pack!!! Not a WHOLE Six Pack to yourself!!! God these guys are hard-fucking-core.....

Anonymous (December 12, 2003)

Yes, yes it is.

My comment is cooler than yours.

dipshit.

Anonymous (December 12, 2003)

it is cool to say that "this band is beter than that band"

Anonymous (December 12, 2003)

I agree that both DRI and Black Flag shred. It's also interesting to note the change in styles both bands underwent. Dirty Rotten Imbeciles compared to Thrash Zone? Nervous Breakdown 7" compared to My War? All good stuff, but hard to believe the musical changes they went through.

There's a gig at 5th and main, we'll catch the bus or take the train, we'll steal or find or borrow cash but we'll be there...

Anonymous (December 12, 2003)

"DRI's first 7" and album totally melt my face off, even today. Totally Tuneless Thrash!!!"

Excellent!!!!
-Janelle

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

I dunno BSD, People tend to group the early 80's bands together despite their distinct sounds. most just refer to it all as "hardcore" it wasn't until years later that we found these cool names like Thrash, Fastcore or Power Violence etc. So in that respect, my comparison of DRI to Black Flag is valid...just as people compare/contrast bands like Negative Approach and the State though they sound nothing alike. There wasn't as much division in the scene back then.

...and to the kid who pitted Flag over DRI? Gotta disagree, friend. While both bands are fucking awesome, DRI's first 7" and album totally melt my face off, even today. Totally Tuneless Thrash!!!

-Ken

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

DRI and Black Flag have so little in common I don't see the use in comparing the two... When BF went more metally, they went sludge. DRI was just fuckin' thrash. No real similarities.

-BSD

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

DRI is good....but in all honesty Flag wouldve annihilated them.

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

black flag wasent the first but they were one of the first who were succesfull at it on DIY

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

Black Flag is held so holier than holy for more than just their innovations in music. They were pioneers of DIY (I'm not saying they were THE first but one of the first) by starting their own record label SST records and self-releasing their albums etc. They were a SUPER hard working band, constantly releasing records and touring and they proved that any band no matter how counter-culture can be sucessful through dedication and tons and tons of hard work. Do you think you'll ever see A Simple Plan pushing their van through the snow in Europe? No. Respect the Flag!
-housewrecker

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

DRI - Hell yeah!
Interviews with DRI:
http://www.punkfix.net/interviews/dri.html

and:
http:// www.rebelnoise.com/viewinterview.php?id=27&PHPSESSID=1d00016d4cbb c805b6cafcdb27ff181f

-Janelle

Anonymous (December 11, 2003)

Black Flag? Nah. DRI changed hardcore way fucking more than Slack Slag. Negative FX, Government Issue...these were the bands that changed hardcore. Slack Slag had a good thing going for about 4 years (gee, go fucking figure!) and then promptly blew it.

C'mon, who the hell else was putting 22 songs on a 7" in the early 80's?

FortyMinutesWest (December 10, 2003)

It's Black Flag, what else is there to say?

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

This band rocked.....saw 'em in '82, '83 and '86....and everytime the blew me away. Blows the shit out of even the hardest hardcore bands today....wish that weren't true...but it is.

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

Thats a misfits song...why is it relevant here?

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

they called us walking corpses unholy living dead they had to lock us up put us in their british hell make sure your face is clean now can't have no dirty dead all the corpses here are clean,

Edgie (December 10, 2003)

The Black Flag bashing by you kids really is sad.

:(

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

"I don't know BSD, I mean I personally believe Ginn's style ultimately changed hardcore. He took it from the simplistic style it was (ala Minor Threat, among others) and added the creative Ginn-isms on guitar."

He was a great guitarist. But he didn't revolutionize the genre, I don't think. He might have made it a bit more metally, by way of solos and shite.

-BSD

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

Good, well-informed review Brandon!

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

I don't know BSD, I mean I personally believe Ginn's style ultimately changed hardcore. He took it from the simplistic style it was (ala Minor Threat, among others) and added the creative Ginn-isms on guitar.

-sickboi

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

if BSD stands for bullshit detector, detect yourself.

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

"Superdude...

Love the material, but...

You should have seen the words "Black Flag" and kept on trucking. Sorry."

What the fuck is so holy about this band? A mediocre 80s hardcore band, get over it.

-BSD

nikobart (December 10, 2003)

This release will be aswell my Christmas present and my very first encounter with the band. I already love Henry Rollins, I'll love the band too, I hope........

Anonymous (December 10, 2003)

DK are better.

sickboi (December 9, 2003)

Superdude...

Love the material, but...

You should have seen the words "Black Flag" and kept on trucking. Sorry.