RSS Mobile iPhone Electronic Edition | Newsletters Subscribe | Customer Service Contact Us | Community Modmomsclub

Scene

Friday, Nov. 07, 2008

Fishbone: A little reggae, a little ska, some punk and metal — it mixes well for this group

E-Mail Print

For a band named after the remnants of a good meal, Fishbone is a hearty hodge-podge of sounds and styles.

After nearly 30 years of rocking out, the seven-man ska-punk-reggae-metal fusion act is back with a new album and a new lineup. Since forming in 1979, the eclectic alternative rock band has amassed a loyal cult following. Its high-energy music mixes humor with activism. Earlier this year the band released its latest album, "Still Stuck In Your Throat."

Original bassist John Norwood Fisher spoke about the group from his home in Los Angeles, just days away from the kickoff of the band's fall tour Thursday at Modesto's Hero's Sports Lounge & Pizza Company.

Q: So it's been six years since your last full studio album, why the long wait?

A: Well the band went through a lot of changes. In between we did release "Fishbone Live at the Temple Bar," with all new material but it was recorded live. When we were preparing to make the next record, which would have been very timely, we lost (original trumpeter and vocalist) "Dirty" Walter; he and (guitarist) Spacey T were both original members who left. That left just me and (lead singer) Angelo Moore as original members and drummer John Steward (who joined in 1999). So we had to rebuild the band.

Q: How do you maintain the integrity of the music?

A: We were very fortunate to attract the right elements to the band. Guys whose backgrounds held key components to what would keep the band true to its roots. Keyboardist/trombonist John McKnight had been in the group before and is steeped in what it means to be Fishbone. Dre Gipson has extensive reggae background. Rocky George has a history with Suicidal Tendencies that is amazing in itself. So we put all of that together and we've got something to stand on.

Q: How long did it take you to feel like a unit again?

A: The rebuilding process began quickly, but knowing that you have a solid lineup takes a while. The path is not an easy walk and there are mistakes made along the way. Angelo and I wrote most of this record, but we absolutely will get past that with the next record. It will be a stronger representation of the entire band.

Q: What do you think is the essential quality of the band that keeps it still Fishbone?

A: It takes a musician that is able to draw from a lot of different influences. It's almost like speaking like seven different languages. To be able to execute all the different languages of music, effortlessly.

You add heavy metal guitar to a reggae song so it still feels like reggae, yet it still feels authentically heavy metal. That willingness to experiment and to chart uncharted territory is a big part of what it means to be a part of Fishbone.

Q: How is the new album different than past work?

A: At its root it's dance hall punk. For us that's an area we've not exactly done. The jungle influences and the old school punk rock element was something we hadn't consciously done before.

Q: What can people expect from the live show?

A: We bring it like how we've always brought it. We just generate the most energy we have within us. Whenever we hit the stage we're giving you 150 percent, doing the absolute most that we can. There is a fair amount of improvisation. We pride ourselves in not giving you the same show every night. You could see us every day of the tour and have something different.

Q: After 30 years, how do you keep it fresh?

A: I absolutely love what I do. So I have very little to complain about, you know. I absolutely appreciate the people who buy our records, who come to our shows. They let me live out my dream as a 6-year-old of being a performing musician. And so, just the fact I look out in the audience and I see people dancing thrills me to no end. To this day, when we play mom and pa and the dance floor erupts I think, yeah, I'm doing what I need to be doing.