By: Bob Slade

After a 2 1/2 year odyssey that included tours of England, Europe & Canada, plus a lengthy legal dispute, the mighty Black Flag returned to S. Fla. with a new rhythm section and a marked change in musical direction. Besides getting the band out of California for the Olympics, this mini-tour was a showcase for their comback l.p. "My War" and its successors, "Stick It In", and "Family Man". Packed to the gills with perspiring wall-to-wall humans (400 +), Flynns became the center of the universe when the masters of the "creepy-crawl" hit the stage. The uniform punk contingent who expected a reiteration of "Damaged" era gnnarly h.c. hits (Rise Above? T.V. Party? Come on) were in for a let down. Musically, this is a darker, bassier, & more metallic band with a slower paced, rythmic tempo. That's not to say it's tame! Greg Ginn was put on this earth only to play in Black Flag! The man is a true kamikaze psychopath, wrenching out a broken chord death noise that lands on your face like a jet plane. His specialties are "heavy" drone riffs & short spastic breaks played so recklessly fast his fingers seem to get caught in the strings. Anchoring this musical shrapnel is the newly acquired bassist KIRA, who plays a deftly clean Rickenbacker, making it all work somehow. Always the consumate showman, Henry Rollins was in top form this night, stalking the stage like a wildcat, pounding the mike into his gyrating body while focusing the bands energy and directing it to the audience. And thru the entire set Black Flag played it THEIR way. Tracks from "My War" sounded great and were mixed in with classics like "Six Pack" & "Jealous Again". Most impressive was the then unreleased materaial. "Black Coffee" "Wound Up" & "Slip It In" point to an excellent new record. The set ended with the manic depressive "Nothing Left Inside" (talk about an anti climax) where Greg scratches a trancelike, mantra riff while Henry unleashes his 24 years of pain & agony, screaming & moaning, making you suffer right along with him. There is no escape. After depleting his emotional cargo, he exits as the guitar strangles to a close. Total dumbfounded silence. Realizing the band has vacated the stage a few patrons pick their chins off the floor and attempt applause. All too willing to inflict more torture on the assembled, Black Flag complies with "Rat Eyes" "Look thru my eyes, see the world thru my burning rat eyes". Many left, I'm sure, feeling lucky to escape with their lives.

Black Flag returned to Miami Beach for an encore gig on Halloween night and delivered an even more intense set, if that was possible and a complete turnaround to the occasional self indulgence of "Scream" "3 Nights", etc. The band was loose, having actual "fun" and dropped their guard long enough to play all the timeless hits, "Depression" "Police Story" and, can you believe it? "Rise Above" with mucho front row participation in the chorus. Nostalgic trips for sure but it was the NEW stuff that did the trick on the costumed audience. Through monumental effort, the new BLACK FLAG has emerged victorious. Henry was especially in a jovial mood this night and did a humorous rap while soliciting donations for his unmatched performance of wringing 7 ounces of socks and tennis shoes sweat in a plastic cup and drinking the slimy contents before a thoroughly grossed out multitude.