Henry Rollins / Keith Morris

live in Washington, DC (2003)

Chris Moran

Before anyone says it, I know this isn't the real "Black Flag". I am well aware of the almighty Greg Ginn and how there is no Black Flag without him. That being said, the tour is a benefit and is not being billed as a "Black Flag show".

The 9:30 Club fucking rocks. Good medium sized venue, drinks are a little pricey, but eh, fuck it. A lot of good, larger name bands roll through, which is cool, because based on the smaller size of the 9:30, one would think most would opt for the larger capacity. So a good show at the 9:30 is a good show.

Q and Not U kicked the night off. Good set, and being the first time I had seen them, I was very impressed with the energy that goes into their live show. I don't own any albums, so don't ask me what they played. I was there for another reason.

The one downside to Q and not U opening was the opposition to the headliner. While both the music of Black Flag and QANU are experimental and abstract, one would think an opener for the music of Black Flag would have a much harder, intense, and brutal edge to it. No dice.

Keith Morris walked out on stage, proclaimed "Hi, we're the Rollins Band, My name is Keith" and jumped right into "Nervous Breakdown". The age, drinks and drugs can easily be seen in Keith's face, but not in his voice. Keith continued to crank out a few more Flag songs including "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", "Wasted"; and a few others that ain't coming to me right now.

After Keith walked off stage, there was a certain level of energy racing through the place. As the music for "Rise Above" began, the place erupted as Henry Rollins came on stage. But ole' Hank wasn't alone. By his side, singing backing vocals was Hank's old co-worker, and DC's favorite son, Ian MacKaye.

Further into the eve, the set consisted mostly of material from "Damaged", with the exception of "My War" and a few other miscellaneous songs. (no "Loose Nut", damn it)

In the encore, Hank opened with a brutal rendition of "Damaged I", which was shocking as I'd expect "Damaged II" would be a little more fan-friendly.

If Ian MacKaye is DC's favorite son, the red-headed stepchild would be Clutch's Neil Fallon. And to my shock, (I secretly suspected Ian's appearance) Neil made a brief appearance to do "American Waste". Off the hook.

In conclusion, shitty review. Great night.