Over the past month it has been confirmed that two different versions of Black Flag will be reuniting and playing shows in the US and in Europe. One is using the Black Flag name and logo and the other is simply called FLAG.
Greg Ginn's version of Black Flag will play England’s Hevy Fest. Ginn is spearheading this version, which also includes singer Ron Reyes and early drummer Robo (Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia), who left the band in 1981 and went on to join the Misfits.
Reyes who replaced Keith Morris in the band sang for them between 1979 and 1980. On May 23, 1980, Reyes quit Black Flag mid-show at the Fleetwood in Redondo Beach. Reyes was coaxed back into Black Flag long enough to record the "Jealous Again" EP. He also appeared on some selections included on the 1983 compilation album Everything Went Black. He can be seen in Penelope Spheeris' 1980 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, in which he dedicates the song "Revenge" to the LAPD, and jokingly shows off his apartment, which is a closet. After the recording sessions, Reyes went back to Vancouver to be with a girl he met on tour who he later married and was replaced by singer Dez Cadena.
The Jealous Again EP was released after Reyes had left the band for a final time. On the sleeve, he was credited as "Chavo Pederast", Spanish slang for pedophile. The band were not happy with his departure at the time.
More recently at Ron Reyes' 50th birthday celebration at The Rickshaw in Vancouver, BC on Saturday July 24th 2010, Greg Ginn joined Ron Reyes on stage performing "Revenge" and "Jealous Again".
According to a statement from Ginn this version of Black Flag, is "putting finishing touches on a new album" with singer Ron Reyes, drummer Gregory Moore and bassist Dale Nixon, a pseudonym for Ginn. It's unclear who will play bass when the band performs live.
Longtime bassist Chuck Dukowski has formed his own version of the band called FLAG, which will play Black Flag songs on tour in the U.S. and Europe later this year. FLAG also features Circle Jerks/OFF! singer and Black Flag co-founder Keith Morris, and Descendents/All drummer Bill Stevenson, who played in Black Flag from 1983 to 1985. Descendents/All guitarist Stephen Egerton will fill in for Greg Ginn on guitar. FLAG is already booked for the Groezrock Festival, which comes to Meerhout, Belgium 4/27-28, the two Monster Bash festivals in Germany 4/26-27, and Las Vegas’s Punk Rock Bowling festival, which runs 5/24-27.
Perhaps a third version containing Henry Rollins/Dez Cadena/Kira Roessler/Chuck Biscuits will also start up just to keep things interesting.