If you have ever listened to Punk rock music, then you know
exactly who Black Flag is. You may not know any of their songs, but you know
who they are. If you do not know who they are, then you are not a true fan of
the Punk genre. That is a simple fact. Black Flag is hands down one of the most
influential bands of the Punk Rock Movement and they represent what true Punk
Rock stands for. They are not a force that should be reckoned with, because it
simply will not work. It was a few weeks before I started college when I found
out that this legendary band was coming to Birmingham . I did not get too excited because
I figured it was Birmingham ,
England Alabama . I was actually
on a boat when I found out and I almost flipped it because I was freaking out.
This would be the second show that I would go to since I started college and it
was a much needed break.
The opening band was called Good For You. All of the current
members of Black Flag are in that band except for Ron Reyes. Their singer is Mike
Vallely. I actually did not know what to think about them at first. Some of
their songs seemed like one long song because they all ran together and sounded
the same, but some of them sounded different than others. They played
I'd Rather Die
Hanging Around
Knife in the Face
Stupid Me (I liked this song the best.)
Good Sport
Blaze of Glory (I do not know why this is relevant but I
heard the drummer say "Humpty Dumpty mother fucker" during this song)
True Companion
The crowd for the night consisted of mostly guys and they
had a hard time containing themselves, which I thought was funny. They were
basically fan girling over this old school punk band which is not an every day
occurrence. If I were in the front of that venue, I probably would have been
injured because people were flying all over the place. It was freaking awesome.
They played
Revenge
I've Had It
Nervous Breakdown
Fix Me
The Chase
Blood and Ashes
Depression
No Values
Now Is the Time
Six Pack
TV Party
It's Not My Time to Go Go
I'm Sick
Black Coffee
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (HUGE crowd response!!!)
Police Story
Wallow in Despair
Down in the Dirt
Can't Decide
Rise Above
Jealous Again
Louie Louie (Richard Berry cover)
As I type this, I am still deaf in my right ear and I had in
ear plugs. Let that be a lesson to you if you ever attend a Black Flag show.
