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More Electricity in 2026 From
January 24, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know! Sure, that’s a great name for an album title; but it’s also the best way to describe one of the most prolific punk bands of all time. The band from Hermosa Beach California that wears that moniker goes by the name of Black Flag!
Here’s the skinny on the band name – believe it or not, they were first called “Panic.” A bandmate suggested another name consideration. As the story goes, the social and political aspect of the band’s core values were considered. The discussion bled into a black flag compared to the white one. Clearly, they are polar opposites in every way possible. Instead of surrender and futility, the black flag symbolizes the contrast to the vanilla banner, their name symbolizes anarchy and a push back in the name of punkers worldwide; and thus, the band name was suggested then adopted; and the rest is history.
As for the band itself, it was formed in 1976 by guitarist / songwriter Greg Ginn along with lead singer Keith Morris (now with Circle Jerks). From day one, they took the punk rock world by storm; and life has never been the same. Since then, this band has had ebbs and flows that has seen a few lead singers including lightning bolt Henry Rollins back in the day.
With licks that challenged bands like Ramones, The Velvet Underground, MC5, New York Dolls, the Stooges and Social D, Black Flag rose quickly in the eyes and ears of the legions of their fans that flocked towards the new sound that was taking over the music landscape.
Sure, there were bands from across the pond that made significant noise in the early days of punk rock. Bands like The Damned, Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Buzzcocks were making monumental music that could not be ignored.
Truth is that era was very-very special, the collective efforts from both sides of the Atlantic was retrospectively historic. Their music is literally the soundtrack to our lives. Movies, television, commercials punk rock is literally everywhere; after all The Clash’s “Should I Stay, Or Should I Go” was even part of the soundtrack to season one of “Stranger Things.”
That said, there was just something raw and powerful about the music coming out of the States. Black Flag tapped into that angst and developed a sound and following that has never looked back.
The hits we love include “Rise Above,” “Fix Me,” “Six Pack,” “Revenge,” “Slip It In,” “Depression,” “In My Head,” and of course, “TV Party.” In the end, this band has blown up and Blackflagdom has taken off with a life beyond their music.
The name, the logo, the t-shirts and every bit of merch is just as popular today as it was when they first took to the stage.
Bottom line, Black Flag’s reach and influence on other bands, fans and society in general is far reaching and puts them at the top of the “influence” totem pole with other era-defining and epic bands.
Black Flag today consists of founding member Greg Ginn on guitar and backing vocals, lead vocalist Max Zanelly, David Rodriguez on bass, and Bryce Weston bangs on the skins. Their collective energy is simply electrifying.
Their onstage antics don’t fall short, ask their fanbase who to this day still can’t get enough of this band. I have been fortunate enough to cover them over the years, and the 2026 iteration of the band is just as dynamic as ever. Even after all these years, Ginn looks forward to taking the stage to play the music that has defined a generation, a genre and a movement.
As for their 2026 tour, so far, they have several dates set nationwide. The big festival will be the Coachella on weekend number one and two. In between all that, you can catch them in San Francisco, Fresno, Murrieta, Tucson, Pioneertown, Santa Ana, Fontana, Houston, Glendale, Flagstaff, and Sin City. Trust me, the show will be loud, then it will get louder before insanity and mayhem breaks out.
If you’re looking to spend some time taking in living history, mark your calendar and go out next week and see this band in the OC with the Dickies and Angry Samoans.
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SID 260119 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
