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Artist News
Black Flag apologise for shortfalls, hire and fire vocalists
By Aly Barchi | Published on Tuesday 4 February 2014
Following some very public turmoil in the Black Flag camp of late, guitarist Greg Ginn has said sorry for the band’s “sub-par” 2013 LP ‘What The…’, their first since 1985, and a shaky last year in general.
Black Flag founder Ginn, as you may know, picked up again with his band’s one-time vocalist Ron Reyes just over a year ago to write ‘What The…’, only to ‘fire’ his bandmate, live and mid-show, on a tour of Australia late last year. Black Flag’s then-manager Mike Vallely has since been hired as a new lead singer (in fact taking over the mic from Reyes at that same show), he having previously spent a brief time in the band in 2003.
Talking to Rolling Stone, former pro skateboarder Vallely says: “We feel that, generally, the band fell short in 2013 because of a difference in the philosophies of Ron and Greg – it just led to dysfunction. It could have been better Black Flag can be a stronger, more cohesive, tighter band. We want to prove that”.
Reyes issued a statement following his on-stage sacking in which he said it was “a great relief”, adding: “I have been excommunicated in a very strange fashion. I truly feel sorry for anyone who had to witness the infantile behaviour and the relentless provocation I was subjected to both on and off the stage. I regret that under such fierce provocation and taunting I sometimes responded in manners below my standard”.
Yes, this is all quite silly isn’t it?
