Black Flag - Live DVD (Cover Artwork)

Black Flag

Live 📀 (1984)

SST


If you like bad camera angles, terrible lighting and hate extra features, bass and the boring time between songs, well then, this DVD is for you! I don't really want to lie to you--this DVD is kind of hard to watch with those elements to it. I guess you could call it DIY, but I believe the Brits that recorded and edited this project had little experience with what they were doing.

There are times where your face is planted into Henry's sweaty back for more then a passing tenth of a second. After you have to deal with that, you are given a shot that looks like it was filmed in a cave during an eclipse. This DVD only covers one show, which I like, seeing a band in their element, but the editor decided to cut out any time between songs, which is pretty annoying to me. Lastly, the bass is pretty soft while vocals and guitars are overwhelming.

It's not all negative--there are some great things about this DVD. If you listen to Black Flag post-Damaged then you get to hear and see Black Flag play most of and Slip It In. My War is my personal favorite release by Black Flag, so I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing those songs live. I also enjoyed the time between "Swinging Man" and "Nothing Left Inside"; the crowd stands there with awkward faces during that section in the show. They might have been doing it before that, but you can't tell because you don't get to see Henry for one-and-a-half songs before "Swinging Man." Also watching this DVD, you get to experience seeing the intensity that the band is live. I still can't believe how great Henry is at conveying his emotions through body and face.

So is it worth it? Unless you are a nerdy collector like me, no. Well, even if you are a nerdy collector, it really isn't worth it. Everything you see on this DVD can be seen in equally-as-terrible quality on YouTube videos. If you haven't listened to My War or Slip It In, do that first, and if you like it, then hold a debate in your mind if you want to painfully swallow watching a DVD with those great songs.

I rate this a three out of five. I'm a hardcore fan and I can see my self watching this DVD again because it is personally enjoyable, but I don't see most people enjoying it.