SST Founded by Greg Ginn at age 12 years old in 1966
Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954)
Born in Tucson, Arizona. Greg Ginn was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer and business owner. He is best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986, and again in 2003. The band announced another reunion on January 25, 2013.
Since breaking up Black Flag, Ginn has recorded a few solo albums, and has performed with the bands HOR, Fastgato, October Faction, Gone, Killer Tweeker Bees, Confront James, EL BAD, Mojack, The Texas Corrugators, Jambang, Mexican Lions, and he also played bass with Tom Troccoli’s Dog. He also owns the Texas-based independent record label, SST, originally begun as an electronics company called Solid State Transmitters when he was a teenager in Hermosa Beach, California.
Legendary punk band BLACK FLAG has reformed and will play this year’s Heavy Fest, set to take place August 2-4 in Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent. The group’s only 2013 appearance in the U.K. will mark the first time in 30 years that the band’s played in the country.
BLACK FLAG’s lineup for the show will include singer Ron Reyes, who was a member of the band during 1979-1980 (after Keith Morris, but before Dez Cadena) and was featured on the “Jealous Again” EP. He will be joined by guitarist and founder Greg Ginn, as well as bassist Chuck Dukowski and drummer Roberto “Robo” Valverde.
Vocalist Henry Rollins joined BLACK FLAG in 1981 and left five years later. He has since released several music albums and established himself as a spoken-word artist and book author.
Now we have “The Chase,” which could be described as the “second new song from BLACK FLAG,
after many silent years. Fans who have had to wait more than 28 years, for the popular iconic punk rock band to offer them as a follow-up to 1985’s In My Head.
“They have undoubtedly had the greatest impact on DIY hardcore record distribution, underground touring and the hardcore music genre, of any band, before or since, as stated by a “Heavy Fest’s” spokesman. There is a whole generation of musicians and fans that would cite BLACK FLAG as being the most important band to have influenced them, without ever having the chance to see them perform live, that is until now.”
-Punk Monday
Blag Flag tour dates:
May 14 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal Club
May 15 Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
May 16 Zurich, Switzerland – Dynamo
May 17 Rome, Italy – The Orion
May 18 Hünxe, Germany – RUHRPOTT RODEO
May 20 Vienna, Austria – Arena Wien
May 23 Austin, TX – Infest
May 24 Dallas, TX – Trees
May 25 San Antonio, TX – The Korova
June 06 Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
June 07 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
June 08 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
June 09 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
June 10 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
June 11 Erie, PA – The Crooked I
June 12 Albany, NY – Bogies NY
June 13 Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs
June 14 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw @ The Polish National Home
June 15 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw @ The Polish National Home
June 17 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
June 18 Roanoke, VA – Growlers
June 19 Lexington, KY – Buster’s
June 20 Newport, KY – Southgate House
June 21 St. Louis, MO – Fubar
June 22 Fayetteville, AR – Rogue
July 10 El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls
July 11 Tempe, AZ – Club Red/Red Owl
July 12 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
July 13 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
July 14 Los Angeles, CA – Vex Arts
July 15 San Diego, CA – SomaSanDiego
July 16 Santa Cruz,CA – The Catalyst
July 17 Redway, CA – Mateel Community Center
July 18 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
July 19 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
July 20 Vancouver, British Columbia – Chinese Cultural Centre
July 23 Oakland, CA – Oakland Metro Operahouse
July 24 Ventura, CA – The Majestic Ventura Theater
Black Flag With New Release For First Time In 28 Years
Revived hardcore punk band Black Flag will release “What The…”, their first studio album in 28 years, on November 5th. The group put the 22-track album up on iTunes today for pre-orders and the sales were high.
Earlier this year, the group released two new songs that are included in the track list for “What the…” In May, they posted the song “Down in the Dirt” as a free download in exchange for an email address list signup. Shortly after that, Black Flag posted another new song, “The Chase,” as a video release.
Today Greg Ginn is still producing and performing!
Guitarist Greg Ginn, who co-founded Black Flag in 1976, announced the return of the group in January. Its lineup includes vocalist Ron Reyes, who sang on the band’s 1980 EP Jealous Again, as well as two new members, bassist Dave Klein and drummer Gregory Moore (who played drums at a Black Flag reunion show in 2003). In April, the group announced they would be releasing a new album. Ginn doesn’t want it to be about a reunion, or just some sort of greatest-hits act. It’s not Beatlemania, you know; for him, it’s about the music. So there has to be new music for him to even consider playing the old music.
A young Black Flag punk band in 1976 was born!
Around the same time Ginn announced the band’s return, a group of ex–Black Flag members calling themselves simply “Flag” began touring, playing songs from the band’s catalog. In August, the guitarist filed a lawsuit against that band’s members and former Black Flag front man Henry Rollins over alleged trademark infringement and related issues. A U.S. District Court judge ruled in early October that he would not provide Ginn with a temporary injunction against his former band mates due to a lack of evidence.
Black Flag will begin their tour in Puerto Rico and Australia shortly after the legendary hard core band releases their album “What The…” made available world wide.
NEW TRACK RELEASES:
1 My Heart’s Pumping
2 Down in the Dirt
3 Blood and Ashes
4 Now Is the Time
5 Wallow in Despair
6 Slow Your Ass Down
7 It’s so Absurd
8 Shut Up
9 This Is Hell
10 Go Away
11 The Bitter End
12 The Chase
13 I’m Sick
14 It’s Not My Time to Go-Go
15 Lies
16 Get Out of My Way
17 Outside
18 No Teeth
19 To Hell and Back
20 Give Me All Your Dough
21 You Gotta Be Joking
22 Off My Shoulders
Skate Rock San Jose- Steve Caballero and The Faction
The first incarnation of The Faction were Steve Caballero, Gavin O’Brien, Craig Bosch, and Russ Wright. This lineup only lasted through a couple of practices when Craig Bosch left to join local punk band The Unaware. Bosch was replaced by Adam Segal who also became the band’s de facto manager.
The Faction were a hardcore punk rock band. Pioneers of the skate punk era during the early 1980s many band would follow their after.
Starting on Halloween 1982 out of the streets, pools and ramps of San Jose California was The Faction! Though they only lasted 3 years to the day Halloween 1985.
They would forever set a blueprint for the entire skate punk scene which birthed the Warped tour and X Games. This wasn’t some bunch of posers, this was music by skaters for skaters. First off you had Steve “Cab” Caballero on bass then guitar. That’s right, the Bones Brigade legend and man behind the Vans half cab (a pair of which I’m rocking at the moment) as a founding member of this band.
Steve Caballero was known for so many insane air variations and tricks and even has many trick variations named by him. He’s also set a long standing record for highest air out of a pipe along with being Thrasher’s Skater of The Century. Though being born with scoliosis he never really suffered from other than a kink in his neck and head position, it has never been evidenced by his career in the legendary Bones Brigade.
Along with Steve Caballero you had vocalist Gavin O’Brien who could skate anything and was a heavy hitter in the local punk rock.and growing skate rock scene. Lead singer Gavin O’Brien was also a notable skateboarder, popular at local Winchester Skate Park.
Drummer Craig Bosch has a skateboard trick named after him, called “the Bosch” aka invert to blunt. Pro skater Jeff Kendall would play with The Faction during 1989.
Adam Bomb who was known for crazy high top Vans and being one of the first to do switch tricks. Rounding out the talent was Bosch who has a trick named after him which is an invert to blunt.
The Faction rocked as hard as they skated. Their music sounded like a fucking bomb going off. I’d imagine their shows felt like one. The Faction was the real deal for skate punks. An often judgmental scene that will call out a fake from a mile away! They’ve been the soundtrack to many a skate session with their biggest hit “Skate And Destroy” will go down in punk rock history. Faction will continue to be heard in garages and at back yard ramps as long as there are skateboarders.
Steve Caballero At Age 16. 30 years earlier than the photo below, amazing!
Steve Caballero Front Side Invert At Age 46
Their first album, the 7″ Yesterday Is Gone, was released on the band’s label IM Records in 1983. According to the band’s official bio, this generated a bit of resentment in the local punk scene. Some people thought The Faction’s popularity was only due to Steve Caballero’s status outside of the band. This would prove to be untrue, however, after embarking on a small summer tour of California. They quickly discovered that their album had reached a wider audience when they were greeted with much enthusiasm all through out the California large city arenas..
The band’s next album, No Hidden Messages, was also released in 1983. The song “Skate And Destroy” became wildly popular as background music at skate parks, pools, ramp sessions, and early skateboard videos. “Skate And Destroy” was also featured on the official soundtrack to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 video game. Proving the band’s staying ability through time, The song has long been considered the official “anthem” for skateboarding and skateboarders everywhere. As the band’s manager, producer, and head of IM Records, Adam went to work booking a national tour in support of No Hidden Messages during 1984. The tour was a success and saw them play the infamous punk club CBGB for the first time.
The next album, Dark Room, was released in 1985. The punk sound wasn’t gone but the heavier side of the band was very apparent. As its title suggests, Dark Room indeed had a dark feel to it. Thanks to a generous helping of metal infused punk resounding. Dark Room would be the last album before the band’s breakup. The band played their final show on October 22, 1985 at the Keystone in Palo Alto, California on Halloween.
The band’s final EP, Epitaph, recorded during the summer of 1985, was eventually released in 1986 on Thrash Records. A somewhat thrown together mix of songs, Epitaph does have a couple of standouts. Epitaph would be the last album for 10 years. A three word slogan on the back sleeve would prove quite prophetic, however. The slogan reads, “We’ll Be Back”.”
In 1989, for reasons even unknown to the band, they reunited and played two sold out shows at the Cactus Club in San Jose. Demand for the shows was so high that club owners had to turn away a crowd of approximately 300 waiting outside on the first night. This was after they filled the venue. The shows featured the band’s final lineup minus Adam Segal. Pro skater Jeff Kendall took over Adam’s spot. This reunion spawned a four song demo tape. Two songs, “Looking For You” and “Pet Squirrel”, appeared in the Santa Cruz Skateboards video, “A Reason For Living”. This reunion didn’t last much longer and the band again called things off.
The band recorded new material during the early part of the new millennium and four tracks surfaced. “The Whistler” on a split 7″ with J.F.A. released in 2003, “Cut It Out” on another compilation, “Aisle Seat” and “Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?” The last two were never officially released with “Aisle Seat” ending up on the band’s MySpace page. The Faction continued to play in and around California as a foursome.
The final four were Gavin, Cab, Ray, and Keith.
Notice above the Flag logo has straight bars and Black Flag bars are uneven.
And the pissing contest between the two trivial Black Flag reunions continues.
Black Flag Guitarist and Co-Founder Greg Ginn, vocalist Ron Reyes, drummer Gregory Moore, and touring bassist Dave Klein publicly slammed the Keith Morris led band Flag, by calling them a “‘fake’ Flag band currently covering the songs of BLACK FLAG in an embarrassingly weak ‘mailing it in’ fashion.”
Ginn follows up the comments by writing two debut songs directed at the ex Black Flag band members known as Flag called “Down In The Dirt” and “The Chase.”
Here’s Chase On Video For Your Viewing Pleasure
One of punk’s most iconic band names has provoked a new lawsuit.
Guitarist Greg Ginn claims the touring band Flag, consisting of Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Chuck Dukowski and Bill Stevenson, infringes on Black Flag rights owned by him and his label, SST Records.
Fans may be confused to see two different groups performing this year under the name of Hermosa Beach punk outfit Black Flag — one fronted by founding guitarist Greg Ginn, and another touring as Flag with Ginn’s former band mates Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Chuck Dukowski and Bill Stevenson.
Part of the lawsuit focuses on Dukowski, who previously sued Ginn and SST in 2007. At the time, Dukowski was insisting that he was entitled to a portion of Black Flag’s revenue because he was still a member of the band. They eventually settled, with Dukowski reportedly agreeing to never perform under the Black Flag name or use the logo for profit. Ginn claims he and his label, SST Records, exclusively own the rights to the Black Flag name (and “Flag” variation) and infamous logo, which Flag use on tour.
Ginn accuses Garfield and Morris of lying to the Trademark Office on registrations; using his own label’s record covers to feign as though they’ve been continuing to use Black Flag since 1979; and in what’s alleged to be an act of “outrageous fraud,” using bootleg SST T-shirts in an attempt to show they’ve been making such products in that time.
Also named as a defendant is Black Flag’s most famous former member Henry Rollins, known for his own music, current radio show on KCRW, a column in LA Weekly and a role on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
Unfortunately, the competition has culminated in a lawsuit.
On Friday, August 2, 2013, Greg Ginn sued his former band mates, seeking an injunction against their current tour, which kicked off in May and will stop in Los Angeles (pending this case)
The suit describes the alleged infringement of the logo and name “Flag” as “a colorable imitation” that’s “likely to cause confusion, or deception among consumers.”
Ginn claims he and his label, SST Records, exclusively own the rights to the Black Flag name (and “Flag” variation) and logo, which Flag uses on tour.
Greg Ginn accuses Rollins and Morris of lying to the trademark office on registrations. He also accuses the members of FLAG of using his own label’s record covers to feign as though they’ve been continuing to use Black Flag since 1979, and, in what’s alleged to be an act of “outrageous fraud,” using bootleg SST Records t-shirts in an attempt to show they’ve been making such products in that time.
Interestingly, while not actually a part of any reunion, former vocalist (and most famous ex-member) Henry Rollins has also been named as a defendant. However, as divulged in the 55th, 56th, and 57th paragraphs of the suit on September 12, 2012, Rollins (aka “Henry Garfield”) and Keith Morris jointly applied to trademark the term “Black Flag,” as well as the Black Flag logo.
Rollins has noted several times — the following quote is from a 2011 Post article were Rollins states that “Greg Ginn doesn’t pay royalties. No royalties, no statements, nothing. At least not to me and several of my old band mates.”
However, a judge has found that SST has no rights to the Black Flag copyright; Ginn has special rights to any of the trademarks; neither Ginn nor the label cared about copyrghts or trademarks until now; Rollins never quit Black Flag (technically correct, since it was Ginn who “quit” the band in 1985, not Rollins); and fans are smart enough to know which band is which.
Here’s what all of that looks like in legalese, via FLAG:
(1) the court found that SST had no rights in the trademarks; (2) Ginn seemed to have no individual rights in the Black Flag trademarks; (3) even if either had had any rights in those marks, they had abandoned those rights through a failure to police the mark for nearly 30 years; (4) the defendants’ claim that the Black Flag assets were owned by a statutory partnership comprised of various former band members – even if these members only consisted of Henry and Ginn, based on (a) accepting Ginn’s argument that he never quit and given that there is no evidence or allegation that Henry ever quit – has merit; (5) that even if the plaintiffs had some trademark claim in the marks, there was no likelihood of consumer confusion between Black Flag and Flag given the ample press coverage over the dispute; and (6) the trademark application and registration that Henry and Keith made was done in good faith (e.g. not fraudulently) – and is thus not necessarily subject to cancellation – given that they understood their actions to have been done on the part of the Black Flag partnership (see No. 4, above).
Steve Caballero At Age 16. 30 years earlier than the photo below, amazing!
Punx In Solidarity 