By Jesse Hudgins
For those who don’t know, Black Flag is a legendary punk group that formed in 1976. Over the years, the band has gone through many lineup changes. Many punk legends have come and gone through Black Flag like Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Ron Reyes, Henry Rollins, Robo, Bill Stevenson, Chuck Biscuits, and the list goes on and on. Most recently, the band has performed with a new lineup organized by original guitarist Greg Ginn that features young 20-year-old musicians.
From the initial announcement, many were quick to criticize the decision. There was a lot of hatred toward the younger musicians who took the opportunity. I don’t think they deserve the flak. As a young 20-something, it’s no wonder they would take the opportunity to join one of the most well-known punk bands in history. Ginn also dealt with his fair share of disapproval and called those booming criticism toward the band “keyboard warriors.” Most of the comments on the lineup change stem from one question: why? Is it to keep legacy alive or to keep the money flowing? To be honest, the only person who knows that is Greg Ginn.
On one end, I agree with the criticism, but I also feel bad. Again, these younger musicians just want to jump on the opportunity of a lifetime. I respect that and am happy for them, but I don’t want to hear them covering Black Flag. I understand they’re currently working on a new album, but to me, it’ll lose its authenticity being released as a Black Flag record. Sure, there will be die-hard Black Flag fans who’ll listen as soon as it releases, but how many people are only going to listen to it to see if it’s bad? Am I being too harsh? Maybe. It only comes from a place of caring about a band that means so much to a community I love.
Recently, the band received more criticism for their performance at Coachella. The online reaction was, to say the least, a cringe of embarrassment. Instrumentally, everyone was on point and put on a solid performance. The set consisted of many fan-favorite classic Black Flag songs. The question once again became, why? The second question I saw from many was, “Who was this really for?” The sad part about the whole thing is that the newer members of the band are extremely talented. They could easily become a great group in their own right, even if Greg Ginn was still with them. Playing under the Black Flag name just feels wrong. It feels like Ginn is keeping the band alive only for the cash and name value. People have even brought up Flag, a separate band featuring former members of Black Flag playing old Black Flag songs. An authentic group that comes across as authentic because, other than Ginn, it consists of many members who once had stints, long or short, in Black Flag at some point.
Another smaller controversy stemmed from a couple of bands who won a contest to open for Black Flag were told their sets were cancelled. The reason they were given was that Black Flag was going to play two sets. Instagram stories from the would-be openers were posted to Reddit and people were explaining the whole situation. If this is true, it paints Black Flag in the worst light in a community that prioritizes community.
The whole situation just feels weird. From the outside looking in, it looks like an old man trying to cash in on the name of a project he helped start. I don’t want to be harsh because many of the people involved don’t deserve it, but at the same time, part of me feels like this is wrong. Sure, there are plenty of bands that don’t have many of the original members, but this one hit closer to home. It seems like the online criticism won’t be stopping the band anytime soon, as they continue to play shows, bringing in good-sized audiences, and, as mentioned earlier, will be releasing a new album soon. I guess all we can do for now is just let it happen.
