BLACK FLAG LIVE IN PITTSBURG 7/4/81

Thanks to More Than A Witness, we bring you this live soundboard recording of Black Flag from 1981. Black Flag is one of my favorite Punk/Hardcore bands of all time and it's great to hear a live recording like this. You can download the audio here. Check the info below.

For all intents and purposes, Black Flag was the first American hardcore group to exist. Emerging from a Southern Californian beach community, they gained international notoriety through incessant touring and undoubtedly shaped local scenes wherever they played. The emergence of their own record label definitively influenced the means by which independent artists could release their own material and thus the greater scope of American punk rock. Perhaps stating this is palpable and overt at this point. Regardless, the influence of Black Flag should never be understated.

This recording consists of a good soundboard recording featuring Dez Cadena on vocals. Perhaps Dez had the least prowess as a front man considering the efforts of Keith Morris and Henry Rollins, but nonetheless Dez shines on this tape. This one starts with a sarcastic thank you to the Pittsburg police department and promptly erupts into a vehemence of magnificence. The Flag tears through 28 songs with fierce tenacity. The recording is an excellent soundboard with some nice rough characteristics. There is a slight cut during “Revenge.” I believe this is on the original master because I’ve yet to hear a version that is complete.

- Drew