White Flag is an American punk rock band currently based in Los Angeles. Their current lineup consists of frontman Mike Mess, Jello B. Afro, and Trace Element. These members have been in the band since 1982, though many have rotated in and out. White Flag has a discography that ranges from their 1982 debut R is for Rocket to 2010's Benefit For Cats.
History
Establishment
White Flag formed in 1982 in Sunnymead, an unincorporated area of California'sInland Empire now called Moreno Valley. They played their first shows that year. The band's name is itself a play on the name of iconic hardcore bandBlack Flag and is meant as a parody on punk rock elitism. Similarly, the punk rock names of band members were chosen to resemble those of Jello Biafra, Mike Ness, and Pat Smear, each an icon of the California punk scene in their own right. In a 1983 Flipside interview, guitarist Pat Fear noted: The band recorded two albums in 1982, R is for Rocket and S is for Space, the latter being released in 1983. After playing numerous shows around California, the band toured Europe for their first time in 1986, and released a live EP from that tour titled "Bleedin' in Sweden".
Recent activity
In 2006 White Flag toured in Italy for the first time. As a souvenir of the group's first visit, the band released a limited edition, hand numbered 8 song 10" vinyl album, on Roma based RARO! Records, entitled "Piangi Con Me", which is now out of print. In 2008, the band toured Europe twice, first in March, and then in June–July they did 23 gigs, including two with NOFX and the Adolescents. Some gigs in the U.S. with the Germs and the Adolescents followed. In May 2010 the band released the 7" e.p. "Keepers of The Purple Twilight" on Target Earth Records limited to 300 copies. 2010 also saw the release of "Benefit For Cats" on Cupcake Records. In 2011 Strange Magic Records released White Flag and Tony Adolescent's "Live at Bohemian Grove / White Flag & Tony" 7" EP. That same year the band, who were big fans of 70's seminal punk group The Runaways contributed the track "C'mon" to the controversial tribute album "Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Original Queens of Noise: The Runaways". The song featured Michael Lee Smith, lead singer of the band Starz on lead vocals. The current line-up, featured on the July 2010 vinyl only release "Benefit For Cats", performed their first Midwest shows in July 2010. With shows in Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago, on July 15,16, and 17 respectively. The shows were record release parties for the album, as well as for the Russian release limited edition 7" e.p. "Two Pack", which is limited to only 100 copies, and is a split release with Russian band Citramons. Pat Fear died on September 24, 2013.
