Black Flag stands as the trailblazers of American Hardcore, and the Spray Paint the Walls book is their tumultuous tale painted with blood.

Originating in Hermosa Beach, California, in 1978, they relentlessly crafted and performed raw, unapologetic music for eight intense years, navigating a self-appointed tour circuit encompassing America's clubs, squats, and community halls. Engaging in battles on multiple fronts, they clashed with the police, the record industry, and even their own fanbase. Overseas tours were undertaken on meager budgets, utilizing beaten-up trucks and vans.

Spray Paint the Walls delves deep into Black Flag's narrative, offering an insider's perspective through exclusive interviews with band members, contemporaries, and those they inspired. It's the chronicle of Henry Rollins, tracing his evolution from a devoted fan to an iconic frontman. Equally, it unravels the story of Greg Ginn, who transformed his electronics company into one of the world's most influential independent record labels, all while leading Black Flag from punk's three-chord frenzy into the realms of heavy metal and free-jazz. The book features over 30 photos of the band captured by Glen E. Friedman, Edward Colver, and other notable photographers.

Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag book

Name: Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag book
Brand: PM PRess
SKU: RCD035

SKU: RCD035

$19.95

Quantity

Stevie Chick
“Neither Greg Ginn nor Henry Rollins sat for interviews but their voices are included from earlier interviews, and more importantly Chuck Dukowski spoke to Chick—a first I believe. The story, laid out from the band’s earliest practices in 1976 to its end ten years later, makes a far more dramatic book than the usual shelf-fillers with their stretch to make the empty stories of various chart-toppers sound exciting and crucial and against the odds.” — Joe Carducci, formerly of SST Records

“Here is an exhaustive prequel to, followed by a more balanced re-telling of, Rollins’ Get in the Van journal, chronicling Flag’s emergence in suburban Hermosa Beach, far from the trendy Hollywood scene (Germs, X, etc.) and how their ultra-harsh, hi-speed riffage sparked moshpit violence—initially fun, but soon aggravated by jocks and riot police. Greg Ginn, their aloof guitarist/slave-driver/ideologue dominates in absentia. Gradually, he fires everyone but Rollins, yet, his pan-American shoestring SST empire is relentlessly inspirational. A gory, gobsmacking read.” — Andrew Perry, MOJO