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Black Flag in Sydney – review and photos

June 1, 2026

The most fascinating thing about seeing Black Flag in 2026 isn’t the lineup debate—it’s watching three generations of hardcore kids find common ground in the same room.

From the second the band launched into the opening run of songs, the crowd was far more explosive than anyone expecting a nostalgia exercise could’ve predicted. Old hardcore lifers barked every lyric back with the kind of conviction that only comes from carrying these songs around for forty years. Around them were crust punks, curious newcomers, and plenty of twenty-somethings who probably discovered Black Flag through the bands they love today. At one point I overheard a group discussing Sydney’s rental crisis before immediately throwing themselves into the pit—a reminder that every generation finds its own reasons to connect with hardcore.

New vocalist, Max Zanelly, spent the entire set in perpetual motion, bouncing around the stage like she was attached to a pogo stick. The delivery wasn’t an attempt to imitate the past; it was a full-throated, barked performance that injected youthful urgency into songs that have outlived several generations of punk trends.

And that’s really what made the night at Sydney’s Crowbar work. For the older crowd, these songs still carry the same emotional weight they did decades ago. For the younger audience—who never had a chance of seeing a classic Black Flag lineup because they literally hadn’t been born yet—this was a chance to witness the band whose DNA runs through so much of the music they love today. Whether you think Greg Ginn’s latest version of Black Flag is sacrilege or survival almost stops mattering when you’re watching people fifty years apart scream the same lyrics back at the stage.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway, though, was the strength of Australia’s hardcore scene itself. The room was packed with people who clearly spend their weekends supporting local bands, and it served as a reminder that hardcore here isn’t surviving—it’s thriving. Black Flag may have been the headline, but the energy in the room suggested the next generation is already writing its own story.

Review and photos by Adam Davis-Powell.