Greg Ginn, founding guitarist of Black Flag, has publicly addressed the backlash against the band’s newly formed lineup. He made clear that he pays little heed to critics on social media, arguing that real feedback comes from people at live shows, not anonymous commentators online. According to him, some of the loudest critics are “in their mom’s basement on a keyboard”, people who haven’t earned a place in the conversation.

Ginn said that despite the pushback, he remains focused on the audience that matters, according to Metal Injection. He emphasized that he “mainly listens to people that come to our shows, and … care[s] about what they think.” He scoffs at the “keyboard warriors” who think they run the world from behind a screen, suggesting their opinions lack real-world weight.

Ginn also spoke about how the new lineup came together, revealing that he discovered Max Zanelly (the band’s young lead vocalist) because she was screaming along at a Black Flag show. He said she was “the only person I could imagine doing it” and that her raw passion made her the right choice for the role. 

While the renewed Black Flag includes musicians decades younger than Ginn, he insists their connection to the music is genuine. As for the critics, Ginn remains unbothered. He trusts that loyal concertgoers’ reactions matter far more than keyboard commentary from behind closed doors.