Black Flag (band)

Black Flag was a hardcore punk group formed in 1976 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn, guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes.

Legacy

Throughout their ten-year career as a band, Black Flag's experiences became legendary, especially in the southern California area. Much of the band's history is chronicled in Henry Rollins' own published tour diary Get In The Van.

Related Topics:
Diary - Get In The Van

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Black Flag were reportedly blacklisted by the LAPD and Hollywood rock clubs because of the destructiveness of their fans, though Rollins has reported that police caused far more problems than they solved. Black Flag were involved in legal battles once they attempted more mainstream distribution for their records.

Related Topics:
LAPD - Hollywood

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In fact, SST Records, initially founded to release Black Flag's debut single, was during the 1980's one of the most vital independent American record labels, releasing works by such influential groups as Bad Brains, the Minutemen, The Descendents, Meat Puppets, and Hüsker Dü, and released some albums by Negativland, Soundgarden, and, for a while, Sonic Youth.

Related Topics:
Bad Brains - Minutemen - The Descendents - Meat Puppets - Hüsker Dü - Negativland - Soundgarden - Sonic Youth

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Black Flag's career is chronicled in Our Band Could Be Your Life, a study of several important American underground rock groups.

Related Topics:
Our Band Could Be Your Life - Underground rock

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A Perfect Circle covered Black Flag's "Gimme Gimme Gimme" on their 2004 release eMOTIVe.

Related Topics:
A Perfect Circle - 2004 - EMOTIVe

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On many occasions in the early 80's, Black Flag played Pittsburgh's Electric B-a-n-a-n-a. This is the same venue that showcased the 90's Hardcore band, Discarded Tissues.

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Their strong influence continues even now as evidenced by the popularity of toddler-sized Black Flag t-shirts.

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