Showing posts with label Black Flag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Flag. Show all posts

Dec 30, 2013

Movie of the Week: Urban Struggle (1981)


After recently reading Jack Grisham's (TSOL) book, An American Demon, this rarely seen documentary charting the final days of punk club, The Cuckoo's Nest, located in Orange County, California, seems appropriate. Good stuff.

By the way, I highly recommend Grisham's book. He was one sick puppy back in the day.

May 27, 2013

Movie of the Week: Reality 86'd (with Black Flag, Painted Willie & Gone, 1986)

Here's an extra holiday weekend edition of Movie of the Week:

Every touring independent band on the road these days owes a debt to Black Flag. Reality 86'd is a first hand look into the mid-80's American scene, featuring three SST bands on tour (the label's usual practice back then of packaging bands together on the road), it would be Black Flag's final fling as they toured behind the album, In My Head. Hat tip to Music Ruined My Life.

Three bands and crew, 2 Dodge Ram extended cab vans, one equipment truck, one PA system traverse the continental US for six months. A road documentary shot from the inside of the last Black Flag tour ever (the 1986 In My Head US tour.) Featuring behind the scenes proceedings and live performances from Black Flag, Painted Willie, and Gone (Ginn's side project, then featuring Sim Cain and Andrew Weiss (later of the Rollins Band). David Markey was along for the entire trip as the drummer/singer for Painted Willie, documenting the six month tour with his Super-8 camera as it happened. Also features roadie Joe ("Planet Joe") Cole, soundmen Davo Claasen and Dave "Ratman" Levine, and the tour manager who kept it all together, Mitch Bury. A crucial turning point in American underground rock. The end of the line for a trail blazing American band.


Shot in 1986 and completed by director David Markey in 1991 for We Got Power Films.

Jul 26, 2012

MY CAREER AS A JERK: New Circle Jerks documentary



Here's something to check out if you have a minute - a trailer for a new doc about the Circle Jerks. With Keith Morris currently making lots of noise (literally) with Off! there's no better time for this film to come out.

Traverses some 30 years of history of the legendary, on again / off again Los Angeles punk band Circle Jerks as shared by Keith Morris, Greg Hetson, Lucky Lehrer, Earl Liberty & Zander Schloss, with scads of shredding live performances (including
footage director David Markey shot in the early 1980's). Features live performances with Roger Rogerson, Chuck Biscuits, & Flea, with insight from Henry Rollins, J Mascis, & Brian Baker, Greg Graffin, Lisa Fancher. Photographed, Edited & Directed by David Markey.

From the video description:
"From the beginning, LA punk band the Circle Jerks were rooted in controversy. Formed by ex members of Black Flag and Red Cross (now Redd Kross) in late 1979, the band came to encapsulate the image, sound and energy of California Hardcore Punk. Filmmaker David Markey (1991: The Year Punk Broke, The Slog Movie) mixes in-depth interviews, rare live footage and historical perspective to illustrate the story of one of the most influential bands in the American underground. My Career as a Jerk follows the band from their early days and classic debut to navigating the independent label and touring scene of the 80s to the addictions, fights and injuries that forced their break up. Of course the story doesn't quite end there."

For more information visit MVD.

Oct 6, 2011

Guess what? Corporate Rock Still Sucks...

Or, how the snake keeps eating its own tail. Over at the New Vulgate, Joe Carducci chimes in & adds some much needed perspective on the Nirvana Nevermind anniversary, the recent issue of Billboard magazine memorializing the grunge scene, along with SST Records & the early days of the alternative & independent label//distribution scene.

There still is a Billboard magazine, but somehow its recent cover story on the 20th anniversary of not so much Seattle or grunge or Sub-Pop, but of Geffen Records’ release of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, or rather its platinum breakthrough, made me wonder if the dead are now memorializing the living -- they seemed so much more alive than we, after all. It isn’t a very good issue, but the wonder is that the magazine staff managed to cough up any kind of major themed effort. And given there is no current cultural activity that warrants the effort it would have to be part of a celebration of some contrived numeric anniversary of some major copyright property. This may be why the lead names touted on the cover do not include Bruce Pavitt or Jack Endino.

“How we won. What we saw. What we lost.” Sounds like Billboard itself is speaking from the grave. If it really wants to know what we lost they might have observed the thirtieth of SST Records back in ’08 if the recording of Black Flag’s debut 45 is the marker, or this November if the “Damaged” album’s release is the ancient totemic idol. Admittedly Greg Ginn is not the conventional copyright holder to get behind an advertorial trade paper synergy…. Which brings to mind the question, Is this
Billboard issue, “The Lessons of Grunge,” the first editorial cover story in years, or just another vanity cover purchased by the grunge industry? Just asking. The issue itself is thicker than usual, tho I can’t say I pick up the issues as I used to. Continued here.


Its interesting to note, if only to me, that I agree with him on Alice In Chains. And also, my favorite Sub Pop band at the time was always The Fluid...underrated, unreissued, and definitely not platinum. And not from Seattle.

Oct 30, 2009

Chuck Biscuits RIP - Not

LAST UPDATE, PT. 3: For more on the strange Chuck Biscuits story click here, which is apparently where it began. Lets hope that's the end of it.

UPDATE PT. 2: Since posting about this twice earlier today, it's seeming more & more like some sort of weird hoax. Why anyone, besides the person in question (which would still be a bit strange), would try to do something like this is beyond me.

UPDATE: Since posting this earlier in the day, I'm now starting to see rumors online that this is not true & some sort of hoax. More to be revealed? Lets hope so.



Chuck Biscuits - RIP

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