Spray Paint the Walls

The Story of Black Flag

By: Stevie Chick

Narrated by: Ian Putnam

Black Flag were the pioneers of American Hardcore, and this is their blood-spattered story.

Formed in Hermosa Beach, California, in 1978, for eight brutal years they made and played brilliant, ugly, no-holds-barred music on a self-appointed touring circuit of America’s clubs, squats, and community halls. They fought with everybody: the police, the record industry, and even their own fans. They toured overseas on pennies a day and did it in beat-up trucks and vans.

Spray Paint the Walls tells Black Flag’s story from the inside, drawing on exclusive interviews with the group’s members, their contemporaries, and the bands they inspired. It’s the story of Henry Rollins, and his journey from fan to iconic frontman. And it’s the story of Greg Ginn, who turned his electronics company into one of the world’s most influential independent record labels while leading Black Flag from punk’s three-chord frenzy into heavy metal and free jazz.

©2011 PM Press (P)2022 PM Press

Panic! at The Flag show

Black Flag, a true story or: Why is Greg Ginn so exasperating, according to witnesses.

A lot of information and unknown points of view.

What could’ve been a column review in a music magazine was stretches into a 15 hour mono tone, repetitive, grab your thesaurus ridden, buzz word having boring mess which makes the listener really dislike Blag Flag.

Did this band have any fun at all?

Black f**king Flag

it takes me back to a time and place. I bought damage when I was 12-13 years old. Still holds up, at age 52. The older I get, the better it sounds. My War is the truth. And your one of them.

take the time

great stories.... that's all I wanted to say however in order to get my two word review I needed to add a few extra words that are not part of this review.

Fascinating story poorly told

Despite being a story full of fire and fury the narrator seems to be fighting for his life to stay awake during it. Despite a few factual errors bafflingly still included despite several (but not all) of them being mentioned in the forward I’d say this is a decent telling of the story of one of rock musics most important bands. Definitely pair it with the incredible “American Hardcore” documentary though.