Author/journalist Stevie Chick has recently released his book 'Spray Paint The Walls' through Omnibus Press, a revealing and fascinating in-depth look at one of US hardcore punk's most uncompromising and exciting bands ever, BLACK FLAG. Big Cheese caught up with Chick to find out about how the Flag have affected him personally and the highs and lows of writing the book.
How did you first hear Black Flag and how did they affect your musical outlook?
"I got into them in that moment just after the success of Nirvana's Nevermind, when the roots of the insurgent American underground were coming to the surface. I was a teenager then, and I went out and spent what little cash I had on early records by groups like Husker Du, Minor Threat, The Descendents and, of course, Black Flag. Damaged was my entree to the group, and the moment needle hit the vinyl I sensed this was a deeper, darker strain of punk than I'd ever previously experienced - the guitars riffed away with a heaviness that tore through speaker-cones, and squalled with muscular malevolence, while the off-kilter likes of 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' made it clear these were no brutish neanderthals, that there were brains behind their brawn. Lyrically, songs like 'Police Story' sketched out their no-compromise attitude (which would become explicit when I read Rollins' Get In The Van tour diaries a couple of years later), but what made the album more compelling - and in deed, more powerful and more disturbing - was the less-political, more-personal songs, like the anguished 'Life Of Pain' and 'Damaged I', which is still a terrifying track, almost thirty years on."
Why were they such a special band to you and how did the idea of the book come about?
"The realities of touring America in a broken-down van on pennies a day... Just how did they pull off such superhuman feats when they were clearly fallible humans? And what was the impact of living such a tough life? It's an inspiring story, but also often a painful one, and I was interested in exploring how they made it all work, and also how it all, ultimately, fell apart."
Who was the most interesting to interview for the book and why?
"Chuck Dukowski, their founder bassist, was a very inspiring guy, and as the spokesperson for the group during many of their early flirtations with the media, could clue me into just exactly where they were coming from at the time, with regards their anti-authoritarian ethos. Keith Morris, their first singer, was hugely entertaining, often hilarious, and impressively passionate, and also showed me some great Middle-Eastern cafes in West Hollywood. Kira Roessler, their second bassist, was particularly interesting to talk to, especially for her perspective as the only girl in a group operating within a testosterone-heavy environment. And Ron Reyes, their second vocalist, was a particular scoop - he hasn't been interviewed about his time with the group for a good twenty years or so, having dropped out of the scene entirely, but the interview he gave showed he was definitely ready to talk. And while I'm composing such an epic list, Mudhoney's Mark Arm remains the driest wit in rock 'n' roll. And special mention should go to Brendan Mullen, former owner of the Masque club and LA rock scene expert par excellence, who gave a truly vibrant and hilarious interview and was hugely supportive of this whole project, but who tragically passed away late last year."
What were you most surprised to find out about Black Flag?
"The Ginn family are genuinely admirable eccentrics, and their story seems unique in rock 'n' roll."
Were you disappointed not to get interviews with Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn?
"Obviously it was a blow, although a great many rock biographies are written without the collaboration or authorisation of their subjects. I understood Henry's reluctance to speak on the subject (he no longer talks about his time with the group), as no matter how much he understates his contribution to the group and praises Greg, Greg always seems to feel that (the typically humble) Henry's taking more credit than is deserved. I never heard back from Greg, despite requesting an interview numerous times - he seems much more focused on the music he's making now, which is, I guess, understandable. It's a shame, because he's a very fascinating, enigmatic character, and I would have loved to have gotten to know him better, and get more of his perspective upon the decisions he made. But he's given many interviews over the years, from which I gleaned some understanding of where he was coming from in the Black Flag days, while Henry's published his entire journals from this era, so his take on the era is also already out there. And speaking to so many other members of the group, along with their contemporaries, their roadies, label staff and their friends from those days, I felt I got a number of new perspectives on the Flag and their times which, in addition to the Ginn and Rollins interviews already out there, helped me paint a
broader picture of the group than was already out there."
What bands do you see around today that are heavily influenced by Black Flag and what do you think their legacy is?
"Joe Carducci said it best: Black Flag are a music fan's band, really. You have to search them out, there are no 'deluxe' reissues of their LPs, or box sets, or constant re-merchandising of their catalogue, which I think is a real shame, but it leaves them pristine, somehow - their catalogue is there for the adventurous and inquisitive music fan to explore, and their music seems more powerful somehow, for not being constantly thrust into the media spotlight; they certainly couldn't be accused of being 'overplayed'. As far as their legacy, it's immeasurable - beyond groups who were influenced, musically or ethically, by what they did, pretty much every band currently touring the American club/bar circuit is following a path that the Flag themselves pioneered, years before the internet and mobile phones,
charting a course across America with only pay-phones and the Yellow Pages to aid them. There's was a truly DIY revolution and, despite everything being stacked against them, and the huge personal cost it came at, it was one that ultimately succeeded. In terms of their explicit influence on certain bands, sonically the blueprint of their friends and contemporaries the Descendents - pop melodies played at punk velocity - seems more influential, certainly in terms of sales figures (there would have been no Green Day or Blink 182 without The Descendents), but I heard clear echoes of the Flag in the music of the best punk groups of the last decade: The Icarus Line, The Blood Brothers and The Bronx in particular."
To read more of our interview with Stevie Chick, pick up issue 120 of Big Cheese - PRE-ORDER NOW
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