Singer Ron Reyes has left—or been fired from—the reunited Black Flag. Reyes announced his departure from the group via his Facebook page, saying he “felt a great sense of relief” as he jumped off the sinking ship. Reyes says he was fired on stage during a show the band played in Australia. Allegedly, professional skateboarder and Greg Ginn pal Mike Vallely came on the stage during the set, grabbed the mic, and brusquely told Reyes “you’re done, party’s over. Get off, it’s over.” Because that’s something pro skateboarders are allowed to do now.
In his post (which has since been removed), Reyes said the reunion wasn’t at all what he envisioned, saying,
“So many things went wrong from the start. I was into things like having a good drummer, rehearsing and spending time on things like beginnings and endings of songs, being a little less distracted with tour life and a little more on the ball. You know things that would make our efforts worthy of the name Black Flag… Yes it is my opinion that we fell very short indeed and the diminishing ticket sales and crowds are a testament to that.”
Reyes also went off on guitarist and reunion organizer Ginn, who he says doesn’t deserve “such unquestioning blind devotion” from fans. Quoth Reyes, “I truly feel sorry for anyone who had to witness the infantile behavior and the relentless provocation I was subjected to both on and off the stage.”
Reyes also says that he never felt like he was in competition with FLAG, the other reunited Black Flag iteration. Reyes says Keith Morris and company “know [his] heart on this matter,” and that he envies “them for they have succeeded in ways that were never possible with” the version of the group that he ended up in.