Having spent the better part of my day yesterday listening to Black Flag and then reading the chapter on Black Flag from the (so far really great) book 'Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground,1981-1991,' I was pleased to see this on Amazon Prime Instant Video and immediately started watching it. Once my viewing began, I was bombarded with all the fury and excitement one could expect from what may have been the quintessential Hardcore Punk band of the 80's. Henry Rollins' insane, energetic performance sticks out like a sore thumb among all else in the video. Our bassist, guitarist, and drummer are all playing with lightening-like intensity, but they all seem relatively reserved in comparison to the unhinged Rollins who bobs his long hair with more strength I can imagine mustering, his furiously sweating body glistening in the artificial light above, his vocals ranging from loud to literal screaming. It's an incredible performance. The video and audio quality are both mixed at best, but it adds to the whole charm of it. If this were some slick, perfectly produced video, it would not at all represent the spirit of hardcore; as the video is, it embodies the hardcore spirit better than any other film out there.
Review of Black Flag Live
