BDx13
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Barred For Life Book Release Party - Bowery Electric - 6/23/13
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2013/06/barred_for_life_...
Better Than: Flag, Black Flag and possibly White Flag.
In the summer of 1981, the Southern California band Black Flag went on a monumental tour of the U.S. where they unconsciously became the Johnny
Appleseeds for the American Hardcore scene. From the Midwest to Manhattan, every fuck-up kid who bared witness to their sonic assault and 'Tough crap
if you don't like it' attitude on that tour more than likely started a band.
It is now the summer of 2012 and what do we got? Two different versions of the band touring the country. One playing the hits everyone wants to hear.
The other playing a thermin. Where punk's past seems magical and organic, its present just comes off just bat shit whacky, no?
Outside the fug of old man reunion drama, we find ourselves at the NYC release party for Barred for Life, a book consisting of images of various
ne'er-do-wells and miscreants from around the globe who don Black Flag's iconic four barred logo on their flesh like an official rejection stamp from
humdrum normality.
The entertainment for tonight's event consists of an all-star band including not only Black Flag guitarist and vocalist Dez Cadena, but Todd Youth of
Murphy's Law on guitar, Steve Soto of the Adolescents on bass and a Scissor Sister on drums. Yeah, still haven't figured that last one out...
But the fun thing here was the rotating line-up of vocalists for the night. A bevy of infamous NYHC front men got to take a stab at their favorite
Black Flag tunes. Starting off the festivities was the chairman of the NYHC board, Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy's Law. In between his frenzy soaked
renditions of "Nervous Breakdown" and "Wasted," he sat cross legged Masterpiece Theatre style on a crate whilst cracking jokes on the notorious gym
shorts Henry Rollins used to don in the later years of the band. Within the three or so minutes it took to belt those songs out, he was out of there
riding on a cloud of bravado and cheeb smoke.
The other highlight of the vocalists was Walter Schreifels from Quicksand. With all his wiry motion and angst ridden delivery, Walter seemed the
closest in delivery to Black Flag's first vocalist (and current FLAG vocalist) Keith Morris.
But the cake taker of the night was definitely Paul Bearer of Sheer Terror. Prior to his spot on stage, I spied Bearer near the bar looking like his
usual sullen self. At some point, two females flanked him on either side, smiled and greeted him. He still stood stone cold still whilst having a
staring contest with oblivion. He eventually walked off to wait his turn to rock the mic. As I watch him do that trot to the stage, I knew that we
were in for something special. He spoke about the darkened aloofness of Black Flag prior to launching into "Depression," a tune almost too fitting to
Bearer's demeanor. The whole time he delivered the lines, he jerked and quivered and seemed to be the total embodiment of everything Black Flag stood
for: lament, freedom, despair and twisted joy.
All the vocalists mentioned above and the others who sang throughout the night were set on a path of outlaw living by the various swings Black Flag
did out to the east coast throughout the '80s. Watching these dudes celebrate Black Flag's music in this manner was way more exhilarating and true
than any reunion you could be dragged to. But hey...maybe that's just me.
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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BDx13
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Jimmy Gestapo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKbjDq-L3kk
Paul Bearer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CiS_cRKjA
Dez Cadena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_lWRlbLDxI
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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clevohardcore
* Kick\'n ass on the wild side *
Posts: 12937
Registered: 9-19-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sick Of It All, Youth Of Today
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This set was good too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsccBcga2vY
Each aspect of the soul has it's own part to play, but the ideal is harmonious agreement with reason and control.
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Six66Mike
Posting Freak
Posts: 3090
Registered: 11-20-2003
Location: Queensland Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dead Hearts
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I would much rather see a set like this than Ginn's Black Flag. Apparently they're headlining a show I bought tickets to last month. Originally was
stoked for No Fun At All, Jugheads Revenge & Boysetsfire. Now they've added Black Flag, Snuff, The Ataris, and a bunch of bands I've never heard of
before like Bad Astronaut, Good For You & Off With Their Heads.
It was a perfect line up before now it stinks balls.
A lot of people ask me what kind of music I like. I love "soul music". My "soul music" isn’t a style, genre or niche. It’s music that is genuine. It’s
a painful lyric, a dirty bassline, it’s a harrowing vocal, it’s feedback, it’s an anthem, it’s a love song, it’s anarchy. I’ve got my personal
favourites but in the end it doesn’t matter who or where it comes from... so long as it’s good and it's real.
- Paul Morris, music director at 97.7 HTZ-FM
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panzerkreuzer
Posting Freak
Posts: 2496
Registered: 9-26-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: gang green
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off with their heads rule.
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Discipline
* DRUNKEN MONKEY *
Posts: 11900
Registered: 9-8-2004
Location: Over here
Member Is Offline
Mood: The Alley Dukes
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I have to agree, I like this idea a lot more. Trying to bring back Black Flag as a real band doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Leave it in the
past. Wish I could have seen the similar Warzone set at the B&B Bowl.
‘Do you know what a love letter is? It’s a bullet from a fucking gun. Straight through your heart.’
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