 I didn't have a lot of overtly political songs. I think it was more the actions of the group that were threatening to the authorities, and also our political philosophies apart from the music. |
| Putting out the things that I like best hasn't been the easiest way to run a label, and it still isn't because it requires finding an audience for each record. |
| Most good things happen with time; especially music, which needs time to breathe and to find its own way. |
| Punk rock really came out of N.Y. as a philosophy before the groups were ever recorded. I had a kind-of intellectual interest in the idea of creating a new scene that could be a grassroots thing. |
| The biggest disappointment has been seeing the number of people in this business with very shortsighted views. |
| As a label, you have to treat every group and every record as a unique entity. I think that that has been our success, rather than relying upon a fan base. |
| We had a lot of riots. We came under attack from many of the police departments. It certainly wasn't some publicity thing. I was afraid for many years. We couldn't play in LA for many years. A lot of people got very cynical. |
| The public is usually slow to catch on to new things, and it's important that musicians stick to their guns and not look for that instant gratification. |
| The Minutemen were seen as more of an art thing than Black Flag, although I didn't see them that way. It confused people when we put out Saccharine Trust, too. |
| We were excited when we sold our first 10 records. I always felt that if we could get the music out there, and if people became accustomed to it, then a substantial number of them would enjoy it. |
| I listen to everything that comes in. I'm not real worried about demo sound quality. I can hear through that sort of thing. If a band can play, then they can play. |
| There are several books out on punk history, but I haven't read any of them. I was there. |
| Stores can be indifferent to something new. |
| I didn't want to wait around for some business entity to come around and give me money and tell me what to do. We just started releasing records as best we could. |
| You have to keep the business side together as well as the creative side. We have constantly surprised people and stayed with bands until they have grown on people. |
| The REM and Nirvana successes don't mean much to me except as a potential distraction for bands who want to cash in on the trend. Don't try to sound like someone else. REM and Nirvana don't sound like anyone else. |
| If people are really excited about their music, and that's their primary motivation, then that comes through in demo tapes. That's the most important ingredient. |
| Black Flag was formed in 1977. We first recorded in 1978. |
| There aren't enough people who are scaring the kind of people who work at these record companies. |
| We've gotten involved in cat rescue - we take them in and find homes for them. I've always loved cats. I saw how homeless cats were living out there. We take them in, put out flyers. |
