Live Review: Black Flag / Total Chaos – Academy 2, Manchester, UK, 13th October 2019

Black Flag‘s current tour marks the band’s first return to the UK in 35 years, meaning that many present tonight weren’t even born the last time the band visited our shores. The current version of Black Flag includes only Gregg Ginn from the band’s original line up and their return follows the settling of protracted legal wrangling, with both Flag and Black Flag now able to tour as separate entities. The inevitable debates amongst the faithful over whether this is Black Flag have continued, but it must be said that you’ll find debates of this nature amongst fans of any band that have been together for more than four decades and have inevitably shed members due to disputes, bereavement or disillusionment.

The Academy has attracted a steady influx of punks of all ages that are here to see one of the most influential hardcore acts from the US hit the UK for the first time in a generation, but before Black Flag take the stage for the final date on this tour we have California’s Total Chaos. The lights drop and the sound of marching boots builds to an apocalyptic finale round the Academy 2 before Total Chaos launch into their set, brutal would be an understatement for this band that clearly draw influence visually and audibly from the UK82 scene. This is hardcore that borders on metallic, vicious, short aggressive tracks with more than a hint of thrash metal in the guitar sound. If you love the energy and aggression of the likes of The Exploited and GBH but want to see it delivered by the next generation, then Total Chaos are a band you need to see.

If tonight isn’t sold out it’s damn close to it, every possible schism that has emerged since the original punk scene is represented tonight, from the veterans of the scene through to crust punks and fresh faced pop punkers are present for the return of the Black Flag, or at least their current incarnation, to Manchester for the first time in almost four decades. There is a buzz around the Academy 2 that indicates expectations have been raised, whether these are met will be answered shortly.  The current members of Black Flag take their stations and from the the opening number of “Depression” that swiftly merges into “No Values” it’s clear that that Black Flag are staying true to their roots with a set of old school US hardcore done by the numbers. Many of the more energetic young punks present weren’t born when Black Flag last toured their UK, let alone when they formed, in comparison veterans of the scene stand staring impassively at the back indicating that the division of opinion about whether this is Black Flag is even more apparent live.

Personally I found the rage of the original line up wasn’t present and it feels like a crowd friendly run through, but then again I probably come under the elder statesmen category. Down the front there is an enthusiastic, and decidedly youthful, pit, some remain at the front whilst others stand at the back, heading down the front for their favourite songs before returning to standing arms folded until the next track from their wishlist turns up. I’ve been to shows where the crowd is divided over the validity of the bands current line up, with its attendant debates over what constitutes the bands definitive line up, but tonight was the most marked I’ve seen this in a long time. 

Tonight will have felt hollow for some and for others this was a celebration of hardcore punk’s roots, personally I’m torn between the two, there were moments when the energy met the crowds expectations, at others it felt like they were going through the motions and delivering familiar material.  However, the likes of “Six Pack“, “Slip It In“, “Jealous Again” and “Rise Above“, for which Total Chaos joined them on stage, were flawless. Finally we got to the inevitable, improvised and somewhat over extended encore of “Louie Louie“, a song that was destined to be punk since it was written over sixty years ago.

Whether this is Black Flag is not a debate I’m going to become further embroiled in, certainly legally they are and they still possess one of the original members in Gregg Ginn, who it must be recognised was a driving force in the band’s early years. Tonight was about nostalgia, nothing more and nothing less, those that were here can say they’ve seen Black Flag, some that declined to attend will dispute this and the debate will rage on as it does with fans of the likes of The Damned, The Misfits, The Stranglers, The Professionals and Buzzcocks. This tour and the ongoing Black Flag / Flag debate does not diminish the importance of Black Flag in the punk scene, and for those too young to have caught them first time round this was a chance to hear their classic songs live.

Live photography is by Gary Hough, his Instagram account is located here and you can click on any of Gary’s photos to view a slide show of the images

Black Flag and Total Chaos can both be found on Facebook