“I don’t want to see the plan succeed, there won’t be room for people like me!” wrote Greg Ginn, guitarist and founder of punk-rock / hardcore pioneers Black Flag in the brief 35-second song that comprises the title of Stevie Chick’s book.
Glenn Friedman’s iconic photo of Henry Rollins, black-eyed and barking takes the cover spot, whilst on the rear is Greg Ginn, wrestling what would undoubtedly be a roaring guitar. Unusually, most initial visions of the Southern Californian punks tends to be of the visceral, musclebound, tattooed frontman, but the fact is that pre-Rollins, during the first four years, Black Flag had three singers that initially distilled the bands apocalyptic attitude. That formative period (from when the band was first under the moniker Panic) is the primary focus of ‘Spray Paint The Walls’ absorbing, as it does, two-thirds of the 400 pages.
Stevie Chick’s biography of the band offers insights and interviews with most of the main players involved in Black Flag. Unfortunately, neither Ginn or Rollins proffer any new insights, but Chick coherently pulls in quotes from previous interviews (primarily from fanzines) and Rollins’ own account of his Black Flag days, ‘Get In The Van’. Vocalists Keith Morris (who left to form The Circle Jerks), Ron Reyes (now a reborn Christian) and Dez Cadena (last seen playing with The Misfits) all offer fresh historical perspectives on their individual Black Flag experiences.
These accounts, twinned with Chick’s convincing writing, make ‘Spray Paint The Walls’ a compulsive read propelled by an intriguing narrative, as the band embrace the highs and lows of instigating the DIY ethic. What comes out of the story of Black Flag is the bloody-minded determination, endless rehearsing, relentless touring, occasional violence and media misinterpretation the band thrived and eventually broke apart on in order to gain cult status.
Previously Reviews Editor for Plan B magazine, Chick describes the records released on Ginn’s SST label in vivid detail. Obviously, these do not solely contain the works of Black Flag, but also iconic releases by Minutemen, The Adolescents, Husker Dü, Meat Puppets etc. The inexorable work of the label is reflected in its output and inextricable correlation to the weight of touring required to shift records. Thankfully, Chick balances his love of SST’s associated records with a healthy slice of objectivity that allows the reader to explore the music through his considered words.
With a handful of photographs included to represent the era, Chick also includes a full bibliography and selected discography. It is a plain fact that anyone that reads this book will (and should) explore records by bands like The Germs, X, DC3, St Vitus, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys…the list goes on. ‘Spray Paint The Walls’ should be issued to every teen wearing a Green Day T-Shirt wandering around guitar shops intent on purchasing their first cheap Stratocaster copy. A convincing and brilliant history of an ephemeral youthful series of almost unbelievable moments within a tribal community, ‘Spray Paint The Walls’ is a must-read for any serious music fan.
