Anyone who was a part of the 80’s SoCal hardcore scene would tell you that police brutality was just something that we had to endure. Believe it or not, the safest place to have day time shows back then was on the lawn of the Los Angeles Federal Building in Westwood. Why was this a safe place? Well, the L.A.P.D. had no power on this patch of grass, and that gave us the freedom we needed to express ourselves. One of my favorite Black Flag shows ever took place in broad daylight here. Another kick ass show was when Oxnard’s STALAG 13 brought their high jumps and straight edge anthems to the Los Angeles Federal Building. Check out this historic footage of the day hardcore kids were out of the reach of the law! I love this video so much because it’s a perfect snapshot of an era!
