Back in the early '80s, Black Flag were like the Johnny Appleseeds of American hardcore, playing everything from theatres to community halls to backyards in places like Greensboro, North Carolina and Arcata, California, leaving new hardcore bands in their wake. This was partially due to their dedication to their art, and partially because police in their hometown of Los Angeles had declared them a threat to public order and taken to regularly shutting down their shows. Being crammed six in a van for weeks at a time was actually more comfortable for them.
Occasionally they also took their loud, chaotic, profoundly angry show across the border. In December of 1984, they pulled into the the staid, quiet city of London, Ontario — hub of Canada's insurance industry — and blew everyone's mind.