It’s fair to say the world didn’t need one reunited Black Flag, but in 2013, we got two. In one corner, we had Black Flag — featuring Ron Reyes (Black Flag vocalist from 1979-1980) and guitarist Greg Ginn (the only constant member of the band since its 1976 inception as well as the sole legal owner of the Black Flag name and the band’s iconic ‘bars’ logo). And in the other corner, FLAG — featuring original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris, Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski (who, while not an original member, wrote a large portion of the band’s most well-known tunes), drummer Bill Stevenson (Black Flag member from 1983-1985), and guitarist/vocalist Dez Cadena (Black Flag vocalist and occasional guitarist from 1980-83). It was bound to end in agony. In June, Ginn filed a lawsuit against the members of FLAG, claiming the band’s re-purposing of Black Flag’s name and logo “infringes on Black Flag rights owned by him and his label, SST Records.” In October, the court ruled against Ginn, but that didn’t slow down his release of a new Black Flag album, the poorly received What The…, in early November. Later that month, though, Ginn fired Reyes onstage, during a performance in Australia, replacing him — with two songs left in the set! — with former skateboarder/stuntman Mike Vallely. Reyes released a long statement soon afterward, in which he stated that the sacking came in part because he remained friends with members of FLAG. Said Reyes, “Yes it is my opinion that we fell very short indeed and the [diminishing] ticket sales and crowds are a testament to that. However it was made clear to me that raising these issues was tantamount to a blasphemous stab in the back to Greg. How could I question him, his efforts and hard work? How could I dare be a fan of OFF! and/or be friends and a fan of Flag? I was told that I had to chose sides. But I refuse to treat someone like an infallible Pope figure. No guitarist deserves such unquestioning blind devotion. And so I have been excommunicated in a very strange fashion.”